Drag Them Into Hell
by HousethatJackBuilt
Summary: Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are. Full summary inside! CHAPTER 13: PART II IS UP! COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17 eventually  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Some swearing  
Pairing: None as of yet  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: My first SH fanfiction. I've just finished playing SH5 and loved it. I wanted to write something with my two favourite boys, Alex and James (and Pyramid Head of course) Here is the result. Comments and feedback are loved more than puppies.  
Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_Where is Steven, mommy? He can't play and I'm sad.  
You mustn't ask, my darling-Steven has been bad._

"I keep seeing his face. Keep hearing the crack of his skull as he went down, as he fell. He's falling into the darkness and I can't reach him or see him. I call out his name but I hear only silence and my own shallow breathing. I couldn't save him... couldn't save him from the darkness... I- I can't-"

"Now Alex, just take a moment. Take a few deep breaths and calm yourself. Remember what we've said? It's good to talk about this and get your feelings out but you can't get yourself worked up, it won't help anybody. Just relax and continue in your own time."

Alex Shepherd closed his eyes and tried to listen to what Doctor Fox was telling him. _Deep breaths, calm yourself. _He didn't know why he was getting so worked up. He'd been coming to Doctor Fox once a week every week for the last five months... since he left Silent Hill. Since he'd come to terms with his little brother's death. For the first couple of months he'd blamed himself. He should have never taken him out on to Toluca Lake, shouldn't have blamed Josh for all of the jealousy and resentment he felt. It was his father who was to blame, his damn father! Alex felt anger flare up inside of him and remembered what Doctor Fox had told him. He couldn't let his anger get the better of him and took a few more deep breaths. He began to feel calm once more, the anger inside of him being extinguished slowly but surely.

He knew what happened to Josh was an accident. He wasn't entirely free of blame though, he knew that. It never would have happened if he would have stayed away from the lake. He was partly responsible. Maybe he didn't go out there with the intention to do Joshua harm, but he was still responsible and he knew he must live with that every day for the rest of his life. After Josh drowned, he blacked everything out, went into shock. Now Alex knew the truth and the last five months had been hell. He had time to think, too much time. He had mourned Josh. Mourned, blamed, cried, felt empty, felt angry, hated himself, hated his father, hated God if there was one and had felt so lost and confused.

The sessions with Doctor Fox were gradually helping him to heal however. He was slowly coming to terms with Josh's death and was starting to believe that his death was an accident and not entirely Alex's fault. He couldn't spend the rest of his days blaming himself, he needed to move on and get over this... For himself, but also for Elle. Elle had been his rock ever since they left Silent Hill. He wouldn't allow her to stay with him despite her protests, he needed to get through this alone and he knew she also had things that she needed to deal with; he didn't want to be another burden to her. They spoke on the phone everyday though and he knew that in time, they would both get through the fog.

No matter how much the sessions with Doctor Fox were helping Alex; he knew that he would never be free of the nightmares. Oh God, the nightmares in which he was trapped in an endless hell. Creatures from Shepherd's Glen and Silent Hill stalked his subconscious. He would hear the cries that no creature from this world could make, baying for his blood and wanting to taste his flesh. He would run and run, his footsteps heavy, his breathing shallow, but no matter how hard and fast he would run, they would always catch up to him and drag him down into the depths of that doomed town. Deeper and deeper into the fog, never to return.

He would never speak of these nightmares to Doctor Fox however which was probably the reason why he would be forever haunted. He vowed never to utter a word to anybody about Silent Hill and what he saw there. He didn't want anybody attempting to go there for fear of getting trapped in that hell; he wouldn't wish that on anybody. His biggest fear though was getting locked back up in a mental institution which would more than likely happen. Doctor Fox would sit there and nod along and pretend to be sympathetic to his tales of skinless feral dogs and the _clink, clink, clink _of the creatures with blades for arms and the nurses without faces, but in the back of his mind he would be thinking, "The poor boy has completely snapped. What happened to his brother must have taken its toll on him. What's the phone number for the loony bin again?" No, all he would discuss with Doctor Fox would be Joshua's death and that's all.

"You seemed to have calmed down now Alex," said Doctor Fox interrupting his thoughts. "A good way to finish seeing as it's the end of our session. Same time next week?"

"Sure," replied Alex as he watched Doctor Fox scribble out a prescription for his medication, his grey moustache twitching as he did so.

"If you need to talk about anything, just give me a call," said Doctor Fox as he handed Alex the prescription. "You'll get through this in time."

"See you next week Doctor Fox," said Alex as he walked out the door.

It was a lovely sunny day as Alex stepped outside into the town of Oakley, his new home. The greenness of the trees contrasted beautifully against the vibrant blue sky. He closed his eyes as the sun warmed his face, maybe he would get through this after all. He started to head home; Elle would be calling him soon. He crossed the road, heading in the direction of the pharmacy, avoiding the gutters as he did so.

* * *

_Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307. Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307. Hurry!_

James Sunderland repeated those seven words over and over like a mantra in his head as he flew up the stairs of Wood Side Apartments with a Feral close behind. He could feel the skinless canine's hot breath on his legs as it snapped at his ankles. He could hear the scraping of its claws and its bloodthirsty grunts as it scrambled up the stairs after him.

_Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307. Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307!_

He was on the first floor landing now, sprinting towards the stairs that led up to the second floor and taking them two at a time. He had a gun but there was no point in stopping to shoot at the bastard. It would be on him and tearing chunks out of his neck before he could turn around. Sweat beaded on his forehead and his breath was coming out in short bursts. The Feral was getting closer, almost on him now.

_Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307. Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307!_

His legs burned from all the running, they ached and felt heavy. He reached the top of the second floor stairs and made his way to the set that led up to the third floor. The Feral was getting desperate, its need making itself known in the violent and hungry growls it was producing. Its hunger was pushing it forward and James felt a brief tug on his trouser leg as the Feral grabbed hold. This was short lived however as James ran faster up the stairs freeing himself of its grasp.

_Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307. Up the stairs. Right. Left. Room 307! Almost there, almost there!_

James reached the top of the third floor stairs and burst through the door that lead to the hallways, the Feral following closely.

_Right. Left. Room 307!_

James bolted right down the corridor and made a sharp left turn down the next. The Feral didn't anticipate this and ran straight on before skidding to a halt, turning and pursuing its prey, angry at being tricked. This bought James a small window of time, just enough time to burst through the door into apartment 307 and slam it behind him, locking out the baying Feral. He could hear it's cries of frustration in losing its lunch as it scratched at the door.

"Scratch all you want you little fucker. You're sleeping out there tonight," James muttered as he sat on the floor with his back to the door, trying to catch his breath. He'd been returning from the streets of Silent Hill when a Feral almost tore his leg off in the lobby of the apartments. They were a rare sight in the building so he wasn't expecting to see one and had bolted up the stairs when it gave chase. Everything happened so fast that he didn't have an opportunity to shoot at it. He could hear it sniffing under the gap at the bottom of the door. It would get tired eventually James knew, so he got up and walked into the kitchen, tossing his jacket onto the arm chair as he did so. He took out a tin of canned food from the cupboard and sat down in front of the TV which was emitting nothing but a hissing static. He could just turn it off but he liked the static, it was soothing.

He scratched at the heavy stubble on his cheek as he ate. Would tonight be the night? Should he just do what he'd thought about so much? He had plenty of ammo, all it would take was one bullet and he would be free of this hell. James actually chuckled at the irony of such a thought. Hell... if he ended everything now he would simply be tossed from this hell straight into another. He sure as shit wasn't going to heaven. His beautiful Mary would be in heaven and if she was waiting for him, she'd be waiting a long time. He was never going to meet her there, he put here there in the first place. He was a murderer in the simplest form. Sure she was sick but he didn't kill her out of compassion. He killed her because he wanted to be free. She was a burden to him. Her mood swings, her constant need for care, the fact that he was feeling so much sexual frustration... he'd snapped and ended her life.

He'd blocked it all out. He'd imagined the note that she'd left him, telling him she was waiting for him in Silent Hill. It was a subconscious desire to be punished, but punished for what didn't reveal itself until he'd watched the video at the Lakeview Hotel. Until he'd allowed himself to remember what he'd done to her. He'd been through so much in Silent Hill, had searched endlessly for his beloved wife who he'd believed to have died from her illness. Had come close to death so many times and had seen sights that nobody could imagine, not even in their worst nightmares. When he finally came to terms with what he'd done, he had to face his judgement. His executioner. Pyramid Head, two of them to be precise. Pyramid Head had tormented James ever since he arrived at Silent Hill, following him and yielding that deadly knife of his. In what he thought was his final confrontation with two of them, they impaled themselves on their own deadly weapons and James knew he was free. He'd faced up to what he'd done and could leave Silent Hill for good. But he made the mistake of leaving it too long. Made the mistake of staying in Silent Hill and letting the guilt and need for punishment manifest itself all over again. With those feelings manifested once more, so did Pyramid Head. Now once again he hears the sound of his heavy footsteps, hears the dreaded scrape of his great sword as he drags it behind him. And hears the whispers in his head at night_... "You want to end it all so you can be free of me? You can't. You need to embrace the darkness my Creator... embrace it and embrace me. You cannot escape who you are."_

James picked up the gun that was lying on the table beside him, stroking it gently with his fingers. It would be so easy, it would all be over in the blink of an eye. He wanted to do it so badly, he knew that if he killed himself, there would be no more guilt, and with no more guilt to feast off, Pyramid Head would be no more. He couldn't be sure though. What if he killed himself and met Pyramid Head again in hell? What if Pyramid Head lived on even after he killed himself?

James slammed the gun down on the table in frustration. He should have just left Silent Hill when he had the chance instead of wallowing in self pity! At least then he could have punished himself in his own way in the real world. He leaned his head against the head rest of the chair and closed his eyes. The building had fallen silent and James realised that he couldn't hear the Feral outside of his door anymore. He opened his eyes sharply when he heard static omitting from his radio. His hands began to shake when he heard that awful sound and a familiar feeling of dread formed in the pit of his stomach. He was coming.

_*Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape*_

James got up quietly and turned off the TV and his flashlight. He checked that his gun was loaded and cocked it with as little noise as possible. He then went to the kitchen and placed one of the chairs so it was facing the door to the apartment. He sat down and waited. It was going to be a long night.

TBC...


	2. Chapter 2

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HouseJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17 eventually  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Some swearing  
Pairing: None as of yet  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: My first SH fanfiction. I've just finished playing SH5 and loved it. I wanted to write something with my two favourite boys, Alex and James (and Pyramid Head of course) Here is the result. Comments and feedback are loved more than puppies.  
Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_Billy too, and Sally? Did they do something wrong?  
I'm afraid it's true, child-all your friends are gone._

_*Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape*_

James had been sitting in the darkness of his apartment for the past half hour now listening to those sounds... those awful sounds that would make any mans soul break. He could hear nothing but _thump, thump_ of the creature's footsteps and the _scrape, scrape_ of his great knife. Sometimes the oncoming noises sounded close, mere metres away from the door but sometimes they faded, growing quieter until there was only silence and a tense atmosphere hanging in the air. He knew what Pyramid Head was doing. He was playing with him... tormenting him. Trying to push James and test his limits until he either screamed out and cried for him to stop or flung open the door to confront him because he could take no more.

James didn't know what to do. His nerves were frayed and he was indeed on a knife's edge, uncertain of when he was going to topple off. Whenever he would hear the footsteps getting closer he would tense up and sit erect with the gun pointed in front of him, directly at the door. Sweat would crawl down his brow and into his eyes, stinging them. He would flick his blonde hair out of his eyes as he couldn't have anything impairing his vision should Pyramid Head burst through the door, which James knew he could do with ease. He didn't know why he even bothered to lock it. When the footsteps faded and Woodside Apartments would fall as silent as a mortuary, James would feel tension different to the kind when the footsteps were close. The tension wasn't sharp and stabbing like before, it was more of a dull throb. He was no longer on the knifes edge but more on pins and needles just waiting for the moment when he would hear his tormentor returning for him. He would lower the gun but would still clutch it tightly, the weapon shaking in his hands and damp with his sweat.

Now, as the apartment complex fell silent once more, James wished that the bastard would just show himself and do what he had to do. He hated waiting, hated not knowing when the thing was going to knock the door down and drag him deep into the darkness. Pyramid Head would often toy with James like this, always at night time when Silent Hill became even more dangerous than the fog filled days. James stopped moving around the town and hiding in different places because he ceased to see the point when Pyramid Head would always find him. He would always find him no matter where he went.

Before all of this happened, before he came to this doomed town, in the days of sunshine and of Mary, James was a night time person. He would often sit in the back yard of the house that he shared with his wife and look up at the stars for hours on end, wondering what else was out there in the universe and take comfort in the brightness they created. He liked the way everything looked at night. Everything in shades of dark purple and blue, the streetlamps casting their amber glow, making everything they touched appear to be softly burning. But now, in this town, he dreaded the darkness of twilight. He could never take comfort from the stars as he once did as the fog was so thick, even at night time, that he could never see a single one. The creatures that stalked the streets were more dangerous that those that he encountered of a day time and James avoided going out at all when night time fell as much as he could. He would lie in bed listening to the howls and cries of beasts that cannot be of this earth, cries of hunger and of pain. He was no longer a night time person anymore and when darkness fell he would revert back to the child he once was, only now the monsters that he believed to be hiding in his closet and under his bed as a child were real and simply closing his eyes and wishing them away would not make them disappear.

_*Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape*_

James heard it, very faintly but he knew he heard it. There it was again! Louder this time... Pyramid Head was coming back. James tightened his grip on his gun and raised it toward the door, his finger on the trigger.

_*Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape*_

It was getting nearer now, perhaps as close as just down the hall. James's muscles tightened and he tried to get a reign on his fear. He could hear Pyramid Head approaching now, down the hall in his direction. His steps were painfully slow, dragging out the torment as much as he could. Louder... louder... surely outside the door now... and then silence. James could hear nothing but the sound of his own heartbeat and his pulse thumping in his temples. The silence was agonising. _What the hell is he doing?_ James thought. He held the gun steady, never once taking his eyes off the door. James almost squeezed the trigger in shock when a crack appeared at the base of the door and began working its way upward, splintering the wood as it went. A red glow appeared under the door and James knew that Pyramid Head was on the other side, slowly pushing his way in. The crack continued to travel upward, slowly, slowly, the noise deafening in the silent apartment and causing James's head to hurt. James couldn't take it anymore. He stood up sharply, took a few steps toward the door and squeezed off four shots from his pistol. The crack stopped abruptly just above the centre of the door but the red glow continued to bleed underneath so James knew that his tormentor was still there.

Silence once more and James didn't move. He could see nothing but darkness beyond the bullet holes that he'd created. James looked at the gap beneath the door and the colour drained from his face as he saw a long, black tongue snake its way into the apartment and wrap itself tightly around his leg. He cried out in surprise and tried to pull himself free but the tongue held fast and began pulling him slowly towards the door. James began to panic and fired twice at the tongue, missing both times and once at the door.

He had one bullet left.

_Use it! Blow your brains out before it's too late! _He thought. He couldn't let this thing take him to his lair, he just couldn't! He knew what Pyramid Head did to people down there. He didn't merely take people to his chamber and kill them with one great thrust of his knife. If James knew that it was that quick and easy, he would have let himself be taken long ago. But this creature wasn't that merciful. He would take James to his lair and draw out his death, long and painful. He would torture him for days on end, making him scream and beg for death. He would take pleasure in his tears and his pleas. James cast his mind back to one of his first days in Silent Hill. Back to when he was hiding in the closet of this very apartment and saw Pyramid Head with the Mannequin creature. Saw what he was doing to it, what he'd saw many times since then. James started to shake violently_. I can't let that happen to me! If I'm going to die I want it to be on my terms!_

As if sensing his thoughts on what James was planning, Pyramid Head punched a hole through the door, the flimsy wood shattering with ease. A shiver ran up James spine and he broke out in a cold sweat when a gloved hand attached to an arm that strained with muscle reached inside and very slowly, with one finger, beckoned him forward. Fear shot through James like a bolt of lightning and he raised the gun to his temple, his finger on the trigger. He was about to pull it when the tongue that was wrapped around his leg pulled violently and he was lifted off his feet causing him to lose his grasp on the gun and it flew through the air. James and the gun both landed on the floor at the same time, the gun bouncing a few times and hitting the wall and James just hitting his head. He felt himself being pulled towards the door and the whispers in his head began once more.

"_Don't fight me my Creator. Embrace me. Come with me, follow me into the darkness. Stay with me in the darkness."_

James let out a strangled cry of fear as he watched the gloved hand slowly reach down towards the door knob. It stopped abruptly however and withdrew as the ear-splitting siren began to sound. The darkness was coming. James never thought in a million years he'd be happy to hear that sound but now he welcomed it. The tongue unwrapped itself from his leg and disappeared back underneath the door. He heard Pyramid Head's howl of frustration and watched as the red glow began to fade, as did the creatures footsteps. James let out a huge sigh of relief and remained on the floor, panting loudly, trying to get his breath back.

When his heartbeat had slowed down and his breathing had returned to normal James got to his feet shakily. He inspected his damaged door. The hole that Pyramid Head had made was about the size of a football and the rest of the door was splintered and littered with bullet holes. He would have to go out tomorrow and find wood to fix it. Maybe even try to find something stronger to keep the weaker monsters at bay. For tonight he would just have to sleep in the bedroom and lock the door, barricade it for extra security. The darkness was even more dangerous than the night time and he couldn't risk venturing out to find a safer place to sleep now. James reloaded his gun and took everything he would need until morning into the bedroom. He locked the door and propped a heavy chest of drawers in front of it.

He walked over to the window that looked out on to the streets of Silent Hill. Through the darkness he saw two people in mining suits, both wearing gas masks hurrying down Katz Street. Order members. James had often seen them around the town but he'd always stayed clear, hidden at the first sign of them. He knew they were dangerous, knew what they did to people. They were almost as bad as Pyramid Head... almost. James lay down on the bed and closed his eyes, the men's footsteps outside echoing off the pavement creating a sombre and melancholic sound.

* * *

As Alex checked his mail and walked up the path to his one bed roomed house on Autumn Street, he saw his neighbour, Bill Oldman mowing his lawn. When he saw Alex he turned off his lawn mower and approached the white picket fence that separated the two houses.

"Hey Alex, how's it going?" he said with a smile.

Bill was a nice man. He was thirty eight years old, older than Alex by sixteen years but they got on surprisingly well. Ever since Alex moved to Oakley, Bill made him feel welcome to the neighbourhood. He invited Alex to his barbeques and to his poker games and Alex got to know him and his family. He had a lovely wife named Iris and two great kids, Molly and William. William was around Josh's age and Alex often thought that he and Josh would have been friends had they ever met. Alex needed friends in this town and he was grateful for Bills friendship.

"Hey Bill. I'm good thanks, how's the family?"

"Oh you know, the kids are keeping me on my toes as usual. Quick tip for you Alex, if you ever decide to have kids, be sure to plant a money tree in your back yard. You'll need it once they hit the age of ten believe me."

Alex laughed, "I'm sure you've got it covered Bill. I hear baseball pays very well."

Bill was the coach of the local Oakley High School baseball team and every time he spoke about it, his love for the job made itself known.

"Not nearly enough. I've been meaning to ask you Alex, you think you could take a look at my car when you get a minute? It keeps making these funny noises every time I have it on the road for longer than ten minutes."

"Yeah no problem. I'll come over later and see what's up with it."

"Thanks Alex. I'll see you later, Iris says hi by the way."

"Take it easy Bill," replied Alex and walked up the steps of his front porch, fumbling in his pocket for his front door key.

Alex had made quite a reputation around town of the guy who knew how to fix things. Since Josh's death, all of the free time he had gave him too much time to think and it was driving him crazy. He needed to keep his mind occupied so he began to fix anything he could find that was broken. Everything from fridges to toasters to washing machines to cars. At first his behaviour was bordering on obsessive but as his sessions with Doctor Fox began to gradually ease his pain he stopped searching for things to fix and started to only fix the things that he came across. After reading manual upon manual on electrics, plumbing, mechanics and various other things, he could fix just about anything. When people in town heard of this, they started asking Alex if he could fix various things for them. He was their option when they couldn't afford a mechanic or an electrician. Alex still charged of course but because he charged a lower rate than the handymen that were listed in the phone book, more people were coming to him and he was making quite a bit of money.

Alex let himself in after retrieving his key and was greeted by the happy barks of his black Labrador, King. Alex had always wanted a dog ever since his father killed his old one when he was younger.

"You hungry boy?" Alex asked and the dog mewled in response.

He poured some food into King's bowl and left the back door open so he could go in the yard. As King ate nosily in the kitchen Alex logged on to the computer that stood in the corner of his living room. He went online and checked his email. He had a new one from Deputy Wheeler. He opened it and read.

_From: wheeler74  
_

_To: alex_01_

_Hi Alex. I hope you're well, how's the treatment going? I know you keep saying that I should speak to someone but you know me, I'm stubborn by nature and I ain't ever going to change. I never once spoke to a shrink, even when they told us to sometimes on the force. I don't trust a guy I don't know to tell my deepest darkest secrets to. But on the upside, I've met someone. A beautiful lady called Gwen. She's one in a million Alex; she's making me feel like myself again. I've only known her a few weeks but I feel like I've known her a lot longer and she must be doing something right because guess what? For the past week I've been having full night's sleeps. No nightmares at all, not a single one! That has to be progress right? Let me know how you're doing and give Elle my love._

_Take care buddy. _

_Wheeler._

Alex logged off and smiled. He would email him back later. He was happy that Wheeler was doing well. They had been emailing each other a lot since Alex found Wheeler in that torture room and saved his life. They still remained good friends. Alex was happy for him, he was but... why had Wheeler's nightmares stopped and Alex's hadn't? Alex's nightmares were getting more frequent if anything and more violent. Every night he would wake up soaked in sweat with a silent scream stuck in his throat. He put it down to the fact that he wasn't talking to anyone about his nightmares, he wouldn't tell Doctor Fox. He spoke about them briefly to Elle but he didn't want to worry her with his troubles, she was having nightmares too. But Wheeler wasn't even seeing a psychiatrist so he couldn't be talking to anyone about his nightmares either, yet his had stopped. Why? Maybe he had started talking to them about this new lady of his... maybe that was it.

Alex was jolted out of his thoughts when the phone rang. He went to the hall to answer it. It was Elle. They made the usual small talk at first. Asked each other how they were doing, what they had been up to.

"How did your appointment go?" asked Elle.

"It was fine. They're really helping Elle; I think I may be starting to put this whole thing behind me. Coming to terms with-with... Josh."

"That's great Alex. You're still taking your medication?"

"Of course. I'm doing well. How about you? You still seeing your therapist, Doctor... Bimbo, was it?"

Elle laughed, "_Kimbo_ Alex! They're going great and Alex... I didn't have any nightmares last night for the first time since what happened! I didn't even dream, just had a wonderful night's sleep!"

Despite the great news Alex couldn't help feeling a pang of disappointment. Elle had told him that she didn't talk about her nightmares in therapy either for the same reason he feared to talk about them, yet seemed like she was starting to be free of the nightmares too and he was still having them. He felt like a total shit for even thinking such a selfish thought. It was great that she was getting better.

"That's brilliant news Elle! I'm happy for you; I hope that you continue to go from strength to strength."

"Thanks Alex. Hey, you want to do something this weekend? Catch a movie or something? I can drive down."

"Sounds great. I'll give you a call tomorrow."

They both hung up. Alex knew that his and Elle's relationship was slowly developing into something more. They'd taken it slow at first; both had issues they needed to deal with before they could even think about starting a relationship. But now that they were both getting better and trying to move on from what had happened, they were seeing more and more of each other. He'd always liked her, more than liked but he was too afraid to make a move. They were both too fragile and had seen too much. But Alex was starting to think that he was ready to take a risk. Life's too short; he knew that more than anyone.

King came bounding in from the back yard and they both went into the living room and sat down on the sofa, King's head in Alex's lap. Alex turned on the TV and began flicking through the channels; _they put some crap on TV these days,_ he thought. Station after station he couldn't find anything that took his interest.

"_Want to find a way to beat baldness? Well with this miracle spray you can! For just seventy-"_

"_How could you do this to me? I saw you with her! You-"_

"_...year old child has gone missing from the Oakley area. Police-"_

"_And the score for today's football game is-"_

Alex sat up with a start causing King to raise his head with interest as he flicked frantically back to the previous channel. It was the news station reporting a breaking story. Alex began to feel sick with dread as he listened.

"_And continuing on with our latest breaking news story. A nine year old child has gone missing from the town of Oakley. Toby Griffiths was playing in the local park yesterday afternoon when he disappeared. His mother was watching him from a nearby bench. Talking to one of our reporters earlier today she said that she took her eyes off him for a second to retrieve something out of her purse and the next thing she knew, he was gone. She is said to be distraught over the disappearance of her son. Police are combing the area for evidence and are asking anyone who was in the park yesterday afternoon between 1:00-1:30pm to come forward immediately with any details they may have. More on this story as it develops."_

Alex stood up from the sofa causing King to look at him curiously. His breathing began to come out in short gasps. _I need air! Need to get outside!_ He began to make his way to the kitchen but his legs felt weak and he fell to his knees. Toby Griffiths... gone. Just like Joshua... dragged off into the dark! His head started to hurt and he thought he heard a voice in his head, the faintest of whispers.

"_Alex..."_

The throbbing in his head rose to a splitting pain. Alex cried out and put his hands to his head, the pain was excruciating! He fell to the floor and curled up willing the pain to go away. But it just climbed higher, split, split, split until his vision began to blur and darkness began to creep in the corner of his eyes. The blanket of unconsciousness descended upon him and the last thing that Alex heard was the faint barking of his dog. He wasn't sure whether it was King barking or his old dog, calling to him from the spirit world.

TBC...


	3. Chapter 3

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HouseJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17 eventually  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, violence.  
Pairing: None as of yet  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: My first SH fanfiction. I've just finished playing SH5 and loved it. I wanted to write something with my two favourite boys, Alex and James (and Pyramid Head of course) Here is the result. Comments and feedback are loved more than puppies.  
Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_Beware of he who took them-he goes by many names.  
The Bogeyman, the Shadowed One, but all are he, the same._

The first thing Alex awoke to besides a splitting headache was a very wet tongue lapping at his face and the foul smell of canine breath invading his nostrils.

"King get off! Get off me boy!" Alex said, pushing the dog away. He sat up and let out a sharp hiss when a bolt of pain shot through his head and took residence in his temples. He felt like he'd just been on a twenty-four hour drinking binge and was suffering the effects of the monstrous hangover that would inevitably follow the next day. But this was no hangover. Alex wished it were that simple. He'd suffered from a blackout, and not just any blackout. This particular blackout had a familiar bitter taste about it. He'd experienced the same bouts of unconsciousness before... In Shepherds Glen and Silent Hill. A feeling of dread began to form in the pit of his stomach but was banished quickly by a little voice called Common Sense.

_The blackout could have been caused by anything. Just because you had blackouts in those places that you'd rather forget about, doesn't mean that the two are related. Maybe it was the medicine that old Dr Fox has been prescribing? Maybe it was tiredness, fatigue or just a simple spell of dizziness? It could have been a number of common things yet you jump straight to good old Silent Hill. You can always be counted on to think of the craziest solution first Alex my boy!_

He wanted to listen to that pompous voice that was shouting at him deep from his subconscious. He wanted to believe it so much and he would have done, had it not been for the fact that he was watching a news report about a child who had gone missing not ten minutes away from his home when the blackout happened.

_So you had a blackout while you were watching a news report about a missing child, so what? The answer is simple: Stress. The news about the missing kid brought back memories for you. Bad memories. Memories of missing children and sacrifices and-_

"Okay!" Alex shouted to the empty room. King had lost interest once his owner had picked himself up off the floor and was now mooching about in the back yard. "I get it!"

That explanation would have been satisfactory for Alex. He couldn't handle hearing about children going missing again, not this soon after Silent Hill. He couldn't handle it and his brain had gone into overload causing him to lose consciousness. Of course that was what happened... except... it wasn't. Something was niggling at him, gnawing away until the irritation became unbearable and he could stand it no longer. Before he blacked out he heard something. He heard a whisper. Very faint, but he heard it. The voice, which he didn't think he recognised, was whispering his name. He knew he didn't imagine it and silenced the irritating Common Sense voice that was just about to pop up to suggest that very same thing. He heard it. He heard it as clear as he heard King barking in the back yard at that very moment. He heard it as clearly as he heard the footsteps of the children playing jump rope outside. He knew it wasn't some phantom voice caused by the blackout and he wasn't going to let anybody, Common Sense or otherwise, tell him any different.

Alex didn't recognise the voice but the more he thought about it, the more sharp needles of fear began to prickle his scalp. He didn't know to whom the voice belonged, but he couldn't help feeling that he _did_ know. Right now the answer was evading him and he needed to get out of the house to clear his head and think things through.

"King, you want to go for a walk boy?" Alex shouted and the black Labrador came sprinting inside, skidding on the linoleum floor as he did so.

The sun was beginning to set over the town of Oakley and the last bits of blue that could be seen in the sky were being drowned out by the brilliant blaze of orange that dusk was creating. Flecks of ruby painted the sky, giving the impression that the pink clouds that resembled candy floss, were crying tears of blood.

Alex pulled up the collar of his khaki jacket to keep out a stiff breeze that was constantly at his back. King pulled on his leash, happily sniffing everything that was in reach of his curious nose, trying to chase brightly coloured butterfly's that were making their way home for the evening. Alex smiled at the dog fondly and realised, without any conscious thought, that he'd arrived at the local park.

Ordinarily the park would be full of life. Children would be laughing and chasing one another with their seemingly endless amounts of energy. Shouts of, "Push me higher Mummy!" would frequently be heard as the kids would beg their parents to send them to the sky on the swings. Girlish giggles would float around as the boys would tease the girls and pull their hair. But now, the park was abandoned and as silent as a cemetery. It looked less like a children's paradise but more like a playground in the pits of Hell. Discarded pieces of litter blew across the pavement, some getting caught in the climbing frame, and the sky which was now more red than orange, bathed everything in its eerie glow and the shadows cast from the setting sun became more elongated and gnarled. The red glow paired with the deep shadows gave Alex the impression that someone had put a match to the park and burned it to the ground. He shuddered and walked around the perimeter, stopping whenever something took King's interest.

Even if Alex wanted to go inside, the yellow police tape that surrounded the park would have prevented it. He saw three police cars parked along the sidewalk nearby and about half a dozen police officers searching the field which faced the park, obviously looking for the missing child, Toby Griffiths. Only one of the three cars was occupied by a broad shouldered cop talking into the police radio. Alex also spotted a news van a little farther down the road but figured the reporters must be inside, wrapping up for the day. All of the other reporters had apparently called it a day a while ago.

Alex was about to call it a day himself when he was violently jerked forward by King who had begun to bark frantically and was bounding across the road toward the occupied police car.

"Shit! King stop! Bad dog, STOP!" Alex pulled on the dog's leash to try and get him under control but the more he pulled, so did King and the leash was pulled from his grip. The Labrador accelerated across the road just as the broad shouldered police man was getting out of his car and for one horrifying moment, Alex thought that King was going to attack him. But King apparently wasn't interested in the police officer because he made his way to the curb behind the black and white cruiser and continued to bark ferociously down a gutter.

"Excuse me Sir, would you mind getting your animal under control? We have police officers handling a very delicate crime scene here and your dog going ape shit over a drain isn't helping matters." Officer Broad Shoulders shot a disapproving look at King and then the same look back at Alex.

"I'm sorry Officer," exclaimed Alex, making his way over to King. "I don't know what's gotten into him; he's never usually like this."

Alex knelt down and had to physically drag King back by his collar. He clipped his leash back on and stood up.

"Bad dog King! Don't you ever do that again!" Alex scolded the animal and the mutt produced a whining sound, his barking subsided for now.

"Now would you please make your way home Sir? We're trying to keep this area clear after the incident yesterday."

Alex apologised again and Officer Broad Shoulders got back into his car. Alex was about to leave when he heard a faint laughter that sounded very child-like coming from behind him. He turned around quickly and wasn't surprised to see that nobody was there. _Boy Alex, you really need to ask Dr Fox for more pills_, he thought.

"_Rock a bye baby..."_

What the hell? Alex turned his head sharply toward the gutter that King was barking at just a few moments ago. Did he really just hear singing coming from down there? He looked at Officer Broad Shoulders who was still pre-occupied with his radio. Of course he didn't hear singing coming from down there. It was a gutter! But he knelt down on one knee and leaned closer regardless. Alex looked into the gloom; the blackness seemed to be never ending. He felt tiny sharp pieces of ice begin to crawl up his spine when the faint, child-like voice began to sing again, floating up from the darkness.

"_... On the tree tops,_

_When the wind blows the cradle will rock,_

_When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, _

_And down will come baby, cradle and all."_

This was followed by more children's laughter and Alex felt nauseous. Was he really hearing this? How was this possible? There can't be children down there. There just can't! He decided that he was hallucinating, hearing things. The blackout he had today must have triggered it. Plus, he hadn't taken his medication today. Yes, that was the reason he was hearing children's voices singing to him from a sewer. That had to be the reason.

"_Come down here Alex. Come and hold our hands and let us take you with us. He misses you... he wants you to come home Alex."_

At that very moment, more than a dozen fat black bugs erupted out of the gutter, making sickening clicking and popping noises as they crawled over one another. Alex let out a startled cry and fell back on to the pavement. His feet scraped against the concrete as he frantically tried to push himself away from the oncoming creatures. King barked and snapped at a few of them, saliva flying out of his mouth as he did so. Alex finally got to his feet and realised with horrified fascination that these weren't the kind of bugs you saw on those nature programmes on TV. He'd saw these bastards before. He'd saw them in Silent Hill! What the hell was going on here? Panic began to rise in his throat and he crushed the will to scream by crushing the bugs instead. He stomped on them violently, one after the other, green pus exploding from each one as they were flattened under his shoes.

"Whoa, whoa! Easy Sir!" Officer Broad Shoulders appeared at Alex's side after hearing the continuous stomping and King's violent barking. "It's just bugs Sir, calm down."

Alex looked down and whatever insects that had managed to escape had all retreated back down the gutter. The rest were either smeared on the pavement or on the bottom of his shoe. He tried to slow his breathing but he couldn't. He was confused and scared. Too much had happened today for it to be a coincidence or for him to be imagining it all. He had to get home. Alex made a feeble excuse to the officer about having a phobia of bugs and began making his way across the road. He noticed that when he left, the door to the police car was hanging open. And as much as he denied that the events of today weren't simply coincidence, he found himself hoping that the static omitting from the police radio was.

The sky had turned a light shade of purple by the time Alex returned home, with little flames of orange trying to poke their way through the thick clouds. He felt shaky and sick and King apparently felt the same way. He wasn't sniffing at anything or pulling on his leash like he normally did, he looked like he wanted to get home just as much as Alex.

As Alex passed Bill Oldman's house, he saw his neighbour sitting on his porch with his son William. William had a book in his hands and was reading to Bill. He often did that so he could progress in the reading stages in school, he was a bright kid.

Bill looked up from the book and waved to Alex. "Hey buddy, how's it going?"

When William saw King he dropped his book and came running over, he loved to pet him. "Hey King! How's my favourite dog huh?" He stroked the dog behind the ears. "Hey Alex," he said, almost as an afterthought.

Alex smiled at William. He reminded him so much of Josh. The brown hair, the big brown eyes, the bunny doll that he constantly carried around with him just like Josh used to do. Alex did a double take. In the hand that wasn't petting King, William held a pink bunny rabbit doll, very similar – no _identical _to the one Josh used to have. Alex had Josh's doll in his house; he couldn't bear to throw it away. So was it sheer coincidence that his next door neighbour's kid happened to have the exact same doll? Alex didn't think so.

"Hey William, can I take a closer look at your doll? My brother used to have one just like that."

William handed Alex the rabbit and he turned it over in his hands, examining it. It was exactly the same, right down to the last detail. Alex noticed some writing on the label in a childish scrawl. It said, _'William Oldman, Oakley'_.

He handed William back the doll. "Where did you get that William?"

William looked at his father on the porch, then back at Alex. He lowered his voice. It was as if he didn't want his dad to hear what he was about to say. "I got it from the park yesterday. The man who lives in the gutter gave it to me."

* * *

James coughed violently, the black, poisonous gas burning his lungs and his throat. His eyes were streaming and through his blurred vision and the thick cloud of poison he could just about make out the Smog that had took him by surprise.

He had wandered from the moderate safety of the Woodside Apartments in south Silent Hill to central Silent Hill, looking for something to barricade his apartment door with after the unfortunate incident with Pyramid Head the previous night. He wasn't pleased to wake up the next morning to find that the hole his tormentor had created in the door had been invaded by several black bugs during the night and he'd spent the best part of an hour stomping on them and whacking them to oblivion with a plank of wood.

He hadn't slept much at all due to nightmares and more whispers in his head and now he was paying the price. His lack of sleep had made him groggy and sluggish whilst walking the deserted streets of Silent Hill and he'd not noticed the Smog that had seemed to materialise out of the fog. He'd suspected the little bastard had come out of Dargento Cemetery, that's where they all seemed to congregate these days.

Now James felt like he'd drunk a pint full of sulphuric acid. His lungs were on fire and he was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. He had to get out of this gas and fast! He blindly took as many steps backward as he could, praying that he wouldn't trip on some unseen rubble or bump into another creature that was ready to skewer him from behind. The poisonous toxin began to thin out the further back he went and he found that he could breathe and see a little better with each step.

James wiped his eyes furiously with the back of his hand and looked through the fog, trying to locate the son of a bitch. He didn't have to look very hard. The monster's glowing orange eyes and bulging tumours were like candles in the dark and James took aim with his pistol, his hand steady. The Smog reared its head back, inhaling a lung full of fog-filled air.

_Wait for it. Wait for it!_

Its awkward, twitching movements gave James the impression of a mental patient, slowly being burned to death. It looked like each laboured step the creature took caused it great pain. It took a few lumbering steps forward.

_Wait... wait._

It leaned forward, then leaned backward... and opened its ribcage.

_NOW!_

James squeezed the trigger on his pistol three times and shot it point blank in its exposed lungs. The Smog fell to the floor in a smouldering, twitching heap. It was dead. James aimed his pistol at the creature just in case it decided to jump back up again, which they often did. But it was dead and James reloaded then lowered his weapon.

He had to move on and find something for his door quickly. He'd been out in the open way too long. He'd hoped to avoid confrontation as much as possible. Not only to avoid being ambushed and to conserve ammo, but the shots from his pistol would most likely alert other beasts to his location and the last thing he needed was a pack of Ferals or Lurkers on his heels.

James hurried south on Sagan Street and decided to see if the Bait shop on the corner was open. Maybe they'd have something in there he could use. It came as no surprise to him that the door was locked. He decided against breaking the glass, he wanted to make as little noise as possible. Maybe they'd have something around the back? He turned around and was about to head towards the back of the shop to rummage through whatever junk might have been left there when movement to his right caught his eye. James spun around sharply, weapon raised at whatever was about to attack him. But he lowered his weapon as soon as he'd raised it in disbelief when he saw what was standing a few yards in front of him.

It was a child. A little boy with sandy coloured hair and blue eyes that were full of fear. He was wearing a yellow t-shirt that was ripped at the collar bone and blue shorts. James noticed a nasty graze on his right knee and saw that the kid was missing a shoe. He couldn't have been more than ten years old. What was a child doing here? The only other human beings that James had saw here since he found out the truth were Order members and in a strange way, just like the monsters, they belonged here. But a child? A child had no business on these dangerous, shadow filled streets.

James suddenly had an image of another blonde haired child, only this child was a girl. Laura. The little girl that Mary was hoping to adopt had she not... had _he_ not... James shook his head and forced himself not to think about it. This wasn't the time or the place. James slowly put the gun in the back of his waistband and held up his hands carefully.

"Are you lost kid?"

No response. The child only stared.

"What's your name?"

The boy opened his mouth to speak, "T-Toby. Toby Griffiths. I-I want my mommy!" His fragile voice began to crack and tears seeped out from his sapphire eyes.

"Okay, okay," James said in the most soothing tone he could muster. "Just come with me and-"

"No! You have a gun! You're a bad man!" cried Toby and bolted off into the fog.

"Hey wait! You can't go out there alone!" shouted James and ran after him. It was a good job that the boy was wearing such a brightly coloured t-shirt or James would have lost him to the fog before he could even gather speed.

Toby's footsteps echoed on the pavement with James' own footsteps echoing seconds after. It sounded as if a phantom horseman of the apocalypse was galloping behind them and catching up fast, leaving all kinds of destruction in his wake. They were running west on Sagan Street and James considered shouting to the boy again but decided against it when he realised he should just save all of his energy on catching him. Toby made a sharp turn left on to Simmons Street and James skidded on the pavement, almost losing his balance at the unexpected change in direction. He cursed under his breath and picked up speed again. Overlook Penitentiary loomed on their left like some phantom death house that you only read about in horror novels and James tried not to look at it. It made him feel uneasy, just like everything else in this town.

He skidded to an abrupt halt when he saw that Toby had also stopped. The boy was cautiously taking slow steps backward and as the fog momentarily cleared, James saw why. A very hungry looking Feral was standing in front of the kid, growling and licking its chops in anticipation. James looked down and saw a thin stream of urine making its way down Toby's leg and he could hear the child whimpering. James quickly retrieved his pistol and took aim but the boy was in the way.

"Get out of the way kid!" James shouted.

Toby began to move to the right without turning around and it was a good job he did because before James could even squeeze off a shot, a huge blade cut through the fog and pierced the Feral from behind and out through its mouth. A fine and thick spray of blood protruded from the canine and rained down on the pavement, staining the concrete. Toby squealed as the blade withdrew back into the fog and the body of the Feral collapsed on to the floor, a pool of blood spreading from the corpse. James tried to stifle a despaired moan when the owner of the deadly blade slowly stepped into view.

He knew who the instrument of death belonged to as soon as he saw it but he was hoping that the owner would just leave after killing the Feral. No such luck and James knew it. The point of the large pyramid protruded from the mist, then the bloodstained apron and then the rest of him in all of his horrifying glory. Toby began to cry when he saw Pyramid Head and James wished he could do the same thing. But instead he raised his pistol with damp, shaking hands and pointed it at the creature.

As soon as James began to raise his weapon, a dark tongue, the very same tongue that had wrapped itself around James leg the night before, shot out from the rusty helmet and wrapped itself around the boys waist. Toby's scream pierced through the air as he was dragged toward Pyramid Head and was hoisted up from the ground and into the creatures bulking arms. James lowered his weapon. No way was he going to shoot. He couldn't risk hitting the boy. He already had one death on his conscience, he didn't need another. Pyramid Head begun to turn around and head into the fog.

"Wait!" James cried. The creature turned his head. "Just let the kid go. He doesn't deserve this; he's just a fucking _kid!_"

"_If you want him my Creator... come and get him. You know where I'll be don't you? You've always known... that's where I've always been waiting. Waiting for you James."_

James knew exactly where the bastard was going to take the boy. Beneath the Church, down to his Lair. Down, down he would drag little Toby, ignoring his screams and his tears. He would drag him to the depths of hell, never to be seen or heard from again. Down into the darkness.

Pyramid Head turned and disappeared into the fog. James could hear Toby's cries for help. He could hear Toby begging James not to leave him, crying and begging and pleading. James's hands were shaking violently and he had broken out in a cold sweat. He stood there staring into the fog at the spot where his tormentor had been just a moment ago. He should go after him. He should try and save the boy from his oncoming fate worse than death. He was innocent, he was a child! James should save him. But his legs wouldn't move. _That's just what the bastard wants!_ James thought_. He wants me to follow him down there so he can torture me and do God knows what to me. The boy was just bait, a maggot on a stick and I was the fish he was trying to catch._ _If I go down there now I'll never come out. And I can't die at the hands of that monster, I just can't! _

James heart shouted one thing. It was shouting at him to go and save Toby. Pyramid Head was, as the monster so aptly put it, his creation. The boy wasn't to blame in any of this and shouldn't be punished just because James was a murdering bastard. But his mind, the dark side of his mind that he was forever trying to silence, told him to run. To leave the little brat behind and haul his ass out of there. The boy wasn't his problem anymore and even if he did go after him, he probably wouldn't be able to save him anyway. It was a lost cause and James wouldn't go near that Lair, not for anything.

His heart and his head argued back and forth and eventually, one of them won. James ran. He turned and bolted up Simmons Street, then back onto Sagan Street. He sprinted in the direction of south Silent Hill, back towards the safety of Woodside Apartments.

_I wouldn't have been able to save him anyway_, James thought. _Can't go down there, can't go down into the dark._

James ran even harder and faster, his footsteps echoing off the pavement. This time, it wasn't the horseman of the apocalypse he was trying to run away from, it was the screams of Toby Griffiths he could hear in his head. Screams for help as he was being dragged off into the dark. Screams that James wouldn't be able to forget for a long time.


	4. Chapter 4

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17 eventually  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Violence, slight m/m  
Pairing: Slight PH/Alex.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story..  
Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

Author's Note: Thanks for all the reads and reviews so far. Please continue to do so, it really encourages me to hear what you guys think.

_For every sin a child has, must be a punishment to bear.  
Your friends are now beyond our reach; trapped deep within his lair_

"Now hold still Alex, it will be easier if you don't struggle."

Alex's breathing was awfully laboured as he looked up at the men in white coats looming above him. He was strapped down to a grimy, rusty hospital gurney in a room painted with blood that looked despairingly familiar. His eyes were wide with panic and he was soaked in a fine sheen of sweat. There were four doctors surrounding the gurney that he lay strapped to and their voices were muffled due to the gas masks they wore on their faces. Who were these people? Order members? Doctors? _Both?_ To Alex's left lay a hospital tray with various instruments on top of it, all of them sharp, all of them bloodstained.

"No! Stop this! _LET ME GO!_" cried Alex in a strangled sob and pulling at the straps that held him down in a frenzied panic.

"Now, now Alex," said one of the men as if talking to a child who was misbehaving. "We have to prepare you for him; he's waiting for you. Now hold still."

The Order member-doctor hybrid reached to his left and plucked a bloody scalpel from the hospital tray. The instrument glistened as it was brought closer to Alex's throat. Alex's breathing became violently shallow and he thought that he was either going to pass out or have a panic attack. His brush with death was short lived however as the scalpel bypassed his throat and made its way to the top of his chest. The doctor put the scalpel to his exposed t-shirt beneath his open coat and began to cut downwards. The scalpel cut a fine slit in Alex's t-shirt as it travelled south, leaving a trail of blood behind as it also cut into his skin. Down, down it continued to travel, past his navel, lower... lower.

Alex squeezed his eyes shut as the cold sensation of the scalpel was about to reach the place where he dreaded the most. He balled his hands up into tight fists in anticipation. His breathing quickened. The scalpel stopped abruptly. Alex opened his eyes and saw each of the four doctors looking towards the battered double doors in front of them.

"He's coming," one of them whispered in a trembling voice.

Alex listened. And then he heard it.

_*Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape*_

He now knew what they were afraid of. He now knew what was coming. Alex began to tremble and pull furiously at his restraints. It was _him_. The red demon. The one who'd killed his father. He was coming to take Alex away. Coming to drag him down into the dark. Coming to make Alex scream and beg and wish for the mercy of death. Alex let out a strangled sob when he saw hundreds of black bugs seep through the opening at the bottom of the doors. The black bugs that were always close when _he_ was approaching. They scurried across the floor, the revolting clicking and popping noises making themselves known once more. Up the doctors leg's they crawled, making the men in white coats scream and twitch. Up their legs, then their torso's and then onto their faces. Crawling into their mouths, green pus leaking from their lips when one of the men bit down, making a sickening crunching noise as he did so. Covering each one of them until they became nothing but pulsing black body bags.

Alex let out a scream when they began crawling up the gurney, making their way towards him. Over his feet they crawled, getting nearer and nearer to his face. Closer... closer... Alex screamed.

And then he woke up.

He sat bolt upright in bed, the sheets soaked in sweat, his panting deafening in the silence of his bedroom. His dark brown hair was matted to his forehead and sticking up in all directions at the back. His room was covered in shadows, the soft light from the street lamp outside casting an amber glow on his bed. He looked at the digital clock on his night stand, the numbers illuminated in the dark. It read 3:13am.

_Damn it!_ Alex thought. _More bad dreams! This is getting ridiculous. Maybe I should come clean to Dr Fox about the nightmares. Not about the nature of them of course, but maybe he can prescribe something to help me sleep. _God knows Alex needed it. He was barely getting four hours of sleep a night these days and it was taking its toll on him. He knew that lack of sleep could cause hallucinations and other various conditions, and the last thing he needed right now was to be constantly questioning his sanity. With everything that was going on at the moment he needed to be clear headed. He needed to be able to distinguish what was real and what wasn't.

Alex's throat was hoarse and dry; he needed a glass of water. He swung his legs over the side of the bed and got the fright of his life when he saw King looking out of the bedroom window. King always slept out in the hall, Alex didn't expect to see him in here in the middle of the night. He was standing on his hind legs with his forepaws on the window ledge, his nose pressed against the glass.

"King, what are you doing here boy? You're supposed to be in the hall."

King didn't turn around; he just continued to look out of the window and whined softly. Alex got up and began to make his way over to where the dog stood. The orange light from the lamp outside bathed the black Labrador in its light, making the dogs fur appear copper coloured. He could see the condensation King's breathing had created on the pane of glass.

"What're you looking at out there? Cat?"

Alex looked out of the window and immediately saw what had the dog so troubled and it wasn't a cat. Standing on the other side of the road under a flickering street lamp was a man in a white doctor's lab coat. He was wearing a hygiene mask over his mouth, obscuring most of his face and was staring directly at Alex's house. Staring at the window where Alex now stood in fact. Even though the mask prevented Alex from seeing the doctor's mouth, he knew that the man in the white coat was grinning inanely.

_This can't be happening. This is the effects of the nightmare I just had. It's because I'm getting no sleep, I'm seeing things. There's nobody there!_

Alex continued to stare and the doctor did the same. The street lamp continued to flicker, illuminating the watching figure one second and then casting him in shadow the next. With each flicker of the bulb Alex saw the light catch something shiny in the doctor's right hand. It twinkled each time like a burning star. Alex squinted and strained his eyes to try and see what it was.

_*Flicker.*_

Alex saw it and his palms began to feel damp. It was a scalpel... a bloodstained scalpel.

_*Flicker. Shadow*_

And in that instant when the bulb flickered for the final time, the street lamp shattered. Alex blinked and twitched in shock as silver sparks flew from the light source and the light broke. Tiny pieces of glass rained down on to the pavement like a mini hailstorm. King whined and Alex squinted into the gloom.

The doctor was gone.

The next morning, Alex awoke to sunlight streaming through his window and King snoring softly on the end of the bed. He'd let the dog sleep in his room after the incident at the window, he didn't really feel like sleeping alone. Alex argued back and forth in his head all night. He'd argued that he'd imagined the doctor standing there, holding that bloody scalpel and grinning behind that hygiene mask. He'd just awoken from a very vivid nightmare about doctors and hospitals after all. But one thing prevented him from believing that argument, the thing that was snoring softly at the end of his bed. King had seen the doctor too, Alex was sure of it. The dog had always slept out in the hall, ever since he was a little older than a pup. The only reason the Labrador would ever come into Alex's room in the middle of the night was if he was really troubled or really scared. He had been looking out of the window at the exact spot where the doctor was stood for Christ sakes. And then there was the lamp suddenly shattering at the moment of the doc's departure.

Alex wondered if that had really happened too. He got out of bed and made his way over to the window, dreading what he might see this time. His eyes were immediately drawn to the lamp and he was relived yet dismayed to see the glass from the shattered light sparkling like tiny pieces of crystal on the pavement. So he hadn't imagined that part, the glass lying on the floor clear as day was proof of that. But what about the doctor? He didn't have proof of that particular aspect and Alex felt despair creep in to his bones. He was beginning to question his perception again. Beginning to question what was real and what wasn't and he didn't like it one bit.

Alex was so pre-occupied with the street lamp that he didn't notice the police car that was parked outside Bill's house next door. Without even bothering to get changed he hurried down the stairs and out the front door barefoot wearing only his t-shirt and boxer shorts. A pretty auburn haired woman who was passing by gave him an approving look and Alex felt a blush creep into his cheeks. He really should have got changed. Alex made his way on to his neighbours front lawn and saw Bill and his wife Iris standing on their porch talking to none other than Officer Broad Shoulders. The officer gave Alex the same disapproving look that he gave him the previous day at the park. Only this time the look was for standing outside wearing next to nothing and looking like a complete idiot.

"Sir, if you don't mind this is a private matter," said Officer Broad Shoulders.

"No, no it's okay Officer Stanton," Bill interjected. Finally, the cop had a name. "He's a friend."

Alex walked closer and noticed that Iris was crying. Her eyes were red and puffy and her grey flecked ebony hair that she always kept immaculate was hanging loosely around her thin face, unkempt and a little greasy. Bill didn't look any better. He wasn't crying but the lines on his rather handsome face looked deeper and he looked at least ten years older.

Alex had a pretty good idea of what had happened and he was afraid to ask. But he asked anyway, "Bill... what's happ-"

"William's gone Alex," Bill answered before Alex could finish. His voice was harsh and sleep deprived. "Last night after we saw you, I tucked him into bed and said good night. I went to wake him up for school this morning and-" He stopped, his voice beginning to crack. "And his bed was empty; no sign of him Alex... no sign of my little boy."

Iris began to sob once more and Bill pulled her closer to him. Alex felt like he was falling down an endless hole, faster and faster and there was nothing that he could do to stop it. William... gone. Just like Toby Griffiths. Another missing child within two days of the first disappearance. The blackouts, the whispers, the gutter, William's doll, the doctor... something was going on here, something that had an awful sinister feeling about it. No matter how much he wanted to deny it, Alex couldn't help listening to the little voice inside his head that continued to scream, "_Silent Hill!_" A dark feeling like some horrible disease began to creep into his bones, making him shiver. If this did have anything to do with Silent Hill, then what was the purpose? He was getting better, making progress. There was no need for him to go back there. And he wouldn't. God damn it, he would never go back there!

"You were talking to William last night?" Stanton asked. Stanton's short, sandy coloured cropped hair paired with his hard grey eyes and short stubble gave Alex the impression of drill sergeant and he felt a little intimidated.

"Yeah. Well only for a minute, I was coming back from taking my dog for a walk. William-he was, um _is_, very fond of King."

"Yes, I saw you yesterday didn't I? Well, did William say anything to you that would suggest that he might be planning to leave his home in the middle of the night like this?" Stanton questioned.

Alex opened his mouth to respond. He was going to tell Stanton to look in the park; he was certain that's where William had gone. He didn't know how he knew, he just knew... but there in lied the problem. Stanton would want to know how Alex knew and when all he would be able to answer with was just a shrug of the shoulders, Stanton would either get suspicious or dismiss him as the village idiot. But Alex looked at Bill and Iris, looked at how distraught they were. Even if Stanton called the men in white coats, Alex had to get the police to look in the park. How many more missing children would it take to get this situation resolved? He chose his words very carefully.

"Well... yesterday when I was talking to William I noticed he had a pink bunny rabbit doll that I'd never seen him with before."

"Yes, William said his friend gave it to him," said Bill.

"I don't think that was the whole truth Bill. He told me that a man had given it to him... a man who lives in the park. I really think that's where you should be looking Officer Stanton." Alex left out the part about William telling him that the man lived in the gutter. After the incident with Stanton and the gutter yesterday, Alex thought it might make his story seem a little less credible.

At the mere mention of an unknown man who lives in the park, the same park where Toby Griffiths had gone missing, Iris squeezed her eyes shut, fresh tears spilling out from beneath her eyelids. Bill clenched his jaw and a fine tremor passed through his frame. Alex felt a stab of sympathy for the both of them. He knew what they were thinking. A man hanging around a children's park, handing out gifts and luring them into the dark with treats and promises. A man, the type of which you hear so much about in the news, stealing little children away, children who are never heard from again.

"Thank-you for the information Mr..."

"Shepherd. But just call me Alex please."

"Thank-you for the information Alex. We'll be sure to follow it up." Stanton turned to the despaired couple and put a hand on Iris's shoulder. She looked up at him with eyes that were shimmering with tears. Stanton's expression softened, an expression that was poles apart from his strong jaw and broad frame. "Try not to worry Mr and Mrs Oldman. I promise that we'll do everything in our power to find William. Even if I have to search for the rest of my career, I'll find him."

Alex knew that Stanton meant it. He had misjudged the man at first. He thought he was just another hard-ass cop who abused his authority. The kind of guy who would give you a ticket even if you were under the limit. On some level Alex knew that he had also judged the man because he reminded him a little of his father, and he was the last person he wanted to be reminded of. But behind those hard, grey eyes Alex saw gentleness and a fierce dedication to his job. He saw a man who guarded his feelings because he'd saw many horrors in his line of work but a man who would always try and uphold the law because that was his job, it was in his blood. Alex felt bad for, as his mother always used to say, judging a book by its cover.

Stanton made his way down the porch steps towards his police cruiser. As he passed Alex he stopped and gave him a small card.

"If you think of anything else that might help us Alex, please give me a call day or night. I apologise if I seemed a little harsh yesterday. It's just when kids go missing, I can't help feeling a little on edge you know?"

"No apology necessary. I know my behaviour couldn't have been helping matters. I really hope that you find them Officer Stanton, William's a good kid... Look, I know that the doll thing might have seemed like pretty thin information but promise me that you'll look in the park."

"Every piece of information we receive is vital, no matter how small you may think it is. I'm going to radio in right now to get more men over there. I just hope we have better luck than yesterday. Remember; if you think of anything give me a call."

Stanton made his way back to his car and began talking into his police radio. Alex looked at Bill and Iris. His vision blurred momentarily. Alex shook his head and his vision was fine once again.

"I better get inside Bill; I need to get some clothes on. If you need anything you know where I am. I'm sorry about William, they'll find him." Alex didn't know what else to say. He knew that nothing he said would make either of them feel better anyway.

"See you soon Alex," Bill replied warily and they both made their way indoors.

Alex gave Stanton a wave as the cruiser drove off down the street. As he made his way up his porch steps and towards his front door, Alex's head began to pound.

_No, please_. He thought. _Not another blackout, I don't need this right now!_

Alex tried to keep his breathing steady and not panic. He slammed his front door behind him and made his way into the living room. He needed to sit down. But before Alex could even make his way to the couch, he stopped dead in the middle of the living room, a low and horrified groan escaping his throat.

The walls were covered with blood, the red substance crawling downwards and dripping onto the floor. It seemed to be seeping from the ceiling, leaking south in thick and heavy streaks. Not one bit of the cream coloured walls was visible beneath the crimson rivulets. Alex felt vomit rising in his throat and had to swallow the sensation to throw up violently.

_This can't be real! Another hallucination, that's all it is. These past few days have taken its toll on you, not happening, not happening, not happening!_

Alex squeezed his eyes shut and opened them again but the blood continued to coat the walls in its thick substance. Alex's eyes were drawn to the mirror above the fireplace that was also painted red, but not entirely. Someone or something had written a message in the bloodstained reflective glass. Alex stared at the seven words with revulsion and fear.

_COME HOME ALEX. I'M WAITING FOR YOU._

Alex's legs felt weak and he thought he was going to collapse. He stumbled backwards into the wall and felt blood running down his shoulders and on to his chest. He felt it crawl down the sides of his face and into his hair. He began to panic but before he could pull himself away an arm shot out from behind him and grabbed him around the throat, pinning him with his back to the wall. Alex couldn't turn his head but from what he could tell, the arm was very muscular and the strong hand that was now wrapped around his throat was wearing a black glove. What the hell was this? There was nothing behind him but the wall so... had the arm come _through_ it?

Alex tried to pull away but the hand held fast. Sweat ran down his forehead and he was finding it increasingly difficult to breathe. The blood that was now soaking him to the skin made an almighty feeling of nausea sweep over him. Alex was seized by terror when he heard a voice close to his ear, he could feel the hot breath of whomever the voice belonged to on his skin. He knew now who had grabbed him, even though he couldn't see him. It was _him_. The red demon. The voice was barely above a whisper and sent chills down Alex's spine.

"_You need to stop denying who you are Alex. You've seen me... you made me."_

At this point, the other arm of his attacker made its way through the wall on his left side and the gloved hand began making its way under the hem of Alex t-shirt. Alex's blood ran cold as the hand began moving over the muscled plains of his stomach with the gentleness of a lovers caress. Alex felt extremely uncomfortable and began to struggle, trying to pull the assaulting hand away, but it was as if it was made of iron and it wouldn't budge.

"_I'm getting tired of waiting Alex, you are needed. You need to come home... you need to come back to me. Embrace who you truly are... otherwise the streets will run red with the children's blood."_

Alex squeezed his eyes shut as he felt something cold and wet lick at his ear. A tongue. The hand that was caressing his stomach, the blood that he was now bathing in, the tongue that was lapping at his ear, it was all too much. Alex's headache rose to an agonising level and his vision blurred, the blood swimming before him creating a pulsing red sea. The hands that were pinning him to the wall withdrew and he slid to the floor in a heap.

He felt the darkness beginning to take hold and he could feel the blood pouring down and washing over him.

_Funny_, he thought. _Just like drowning. _

* * *

James stared at his reflection in the muddied mirror of the dressing table in room 205 of Woodside Apartments. He'd decided to abandon his old home of room 307 after returning with nothing to barricade the damaged door with, bringing everything he could carry from weapons to canned food to the room where he'd first found his trusty flashlight... and encountered his first Mannequin creature. Yes, he'd abandoned his old room, just like he'd abandoned little Toby. That's why he was awake now, in the middle of the night. He hadn't been able to sleep; his conscious was continually tormenting him.

James stared at his reflection intensely, his eyes seeming to bore holes through the glass, seeing right through to the soul of the person staring back at him. His blonde hair was longer now, the bangs from his fringe falling into his eyes. He maintained his hair less often than he used to, he didn't see the point anymore. He didn't have a beard by any means, but the stubble that grew on his face was getting heavier by the day creating an ever darkening shadow on his chin and cheeks. He'd lost weight since coming here too. His cheekbones were now more defined and his clothes hung loosely on him.

Despite all of the changes in his appearance however, James still recognised himself. He looked the same as he used to, he had just changed due to circumstance. Like a young man who goes off to war for some years and returns changed, physically and mentally. Like a fresh faced police man turned detective after a long period of time, the horrors that he's seen making themselves known on his face. This was the same situation, only sometimes there was one thing that James didn't recognise. His eyes.

"Eyes are the window to the soul," James murmured without realising.

Sometimes he would look in the mirror at his emerald eyes and see the man he used to be. He would see the James Sunderland who was a loving husband and would do anything for his wife. The James Sunderland who had wanted children someday and would always be more than willing to give help to anybody who needed it. But sometimes he would look in the mirror and see a suspicious darkness behind those green irises. A darkness that he was forever trying to control, because if he lost control he would become just another one of those beasts that roam the streets at night, howling and screaming in tortured agony. The darkness that killed Mary... the darkness that enjoyed it.

_Who the hell are you?_ A voice inside of James's head asked. _He was just a kid, and you left him to be dragged away by Him. Can you hear him? Can you hear him screaming in the dark? Of course you can't, because you ran away like a coward! But he is screaming, oh God is he screaming._

"I wouldn't have been able to save him even if I tried!" cried James to the voice in his head. Although to anybody watching, it would appear that he was shouting at his reflection. "And who's to say he would have been safe with _me_ anyway? I don't know what I'm capable of anymore."

_You didn't even try. It was you Pyramid Head wanted and now a child is being punished for your sins. You couldn't even spare the kid his death at the hands of your creation. Even you wouldn't wish that on anybody. _

Even though James knew what he was, what kind of person he was, the voice was right. He wouldn't wish death at the hands of Pyramid Head on his worst enemy. He felt the darkness begin to claw at the edges of his mind and fiercely pushed it away. _He wouldn't wish it on anyone! _James knew that there must be some decency left in him because he had been wracked with guilt ever since he left Toby. That's why, when he couldn't sleep after many hours of lying there in the dark, he'd woken up and assembled his arson of weapons with the decision made. He was going to go to the Lair and try and rescue the kid. He was well aware that he may be too late, Toby might already be dead. But he could at least try. Maybe he could salvage whatever small portion of humanity he had left.

He turned around to the weapons he had laid out on the table and began assembling them quickly before he could change his mind. He picked up his handgun and checked that it was loaded. There were ten rounds in the clip. He put it in the back of his waistband as he always did. Next he picked up his shotgun and with the make-shift strap he'd attached to it, put it over his head so it rested on his back. He could swing it round to his front quickly and effectively should he need to use it. It held the maximum capacity of six shells. James patted the knife that was in his right front pocket to make sure he had it.

James reached down to the duffle bag on the floor and slung it over his shoulder. The bag contained ammo for the weapons along with a hunting rifle. He didn't want to use the rifle unless absolutely necessary as ammunition for that particular gun was scarce and he didn't want to waste it carelessly.

He took one last look at his reflection and exited the apartment. He encountered no monsters on the way down to the lobby and he was thankful for that. James exited the building and stepped out on to the dark streets of Silent Hill.

James flashlight illuminated the way as he made his way toward central Silent Hill. He didn't like having it on, the monsters would be drawn to him like a moth to flame if he was seen, but without it he would be blind and that prospect was far more terrifying than attracting a few beasts. At least if he knew what was coming he could defend himself. He walked briskly but carefully along Sagan Street, his boots that he'd taken from the dead body of an Order member making no sounds on the pavement. He heard sounds all around him. A hiss that sounded distinctly like a Lying Figure rang out somewhere nearby. A guttural snarl that almost definitely had to be a Feral cut through the night air. James knew that he had to hurry; he was way too vulnerable out here in the open like this.

He began to walk faster, then broke into a jog west on Sagan Street. He needed to get to Wilson Street... to the church where the Lair was deep below. James stopped dead in his tracks when a soft static began to hiss from his radio. He stood very still and listened. The static remained soft, not getting louder or quieter. Whatever it was either hadn't spotted James yet or was standing somewhere in the dark, watching him. James slowly and quietly stepped onto the sidewalk and did his best to keep his back to the wall which ran along Sagan Street. He moved west gradually, his handgun pointed at the floor but his finger on the trigger. If he could just make it to the church without confrontation he'd be fine. He didn't want to shoot his weapon alerting other beasts of his presence, or even worse, Pyramid Head.

_Hisssssss._

The static remained steady. When the wall behind James broke off, he walked forward, constantly checking all sides of him as he did. He was approaching the left turn onto Wilson Street. _Almost there_, he thought.

_Hiss. Hisssss. HISSSSSSSSSSS!_

The static grew louder as James approached the turn off. He stopped, his gun pointed out in front of him. He tried to keep his breathing steady and even. He heard a noise, faint, but it was there. It seemed to be coming farther west down Sagan Street, not from Wilson Street which was what he initially thought. He squinted into the darkness and the hissing became even louder when a Schism stepped into view. Then another. Then another. Further down Sagan Street to the right was the police station and James was sure that was where they had come from.

The three beasts stood a few feet away from James, their blade-like heads hanging down exposing their dull yet sharp teeth that ran through the middle of them. James knew that these things were fast movers, if all three of them rushed him at the same time he'd have virtually no chance. As slow as he could, which was hard considering he knew he didn't have much time, James put the handgun back in the waistband of his jeans and began to pull the strap on his shoulder to bring the shotgun around to his front.

One of the Schisms grunted and took a step forward. James stopped pulling the strap and the Schism stopped moving. James knew that the slow method wasn't going to work as the Schism on the far left began to move forward now. It would only be a matter of time before the beasts forgot the slow method too and ran toward him with surprising speed. It was now or never, he had to finish this. He was running out of time. James rapidly pulled the strap from over his head and pointed the shotgun. It made a loud _click-click_ sound as he cocked it and with chilling feral cries, all three Schisms began to rush forward in his direction. The gun only held four shells and he wouldn't have time to reload so James knew he could only afford to miss once. He didn't miss at all.

The Schism on the right was the first to go down; James caught it square in the chest. He scored a direct hit with the second one too sending it flying backwards through the air. He took aim at the third and final monster and blew its head to pieces. It landed on the floor with a lifeless thump. All of this happened in the space of about ten seconds and the blasts from the shotgun still rang through the air. The static from his radio had ceased for now and James knew he had to get moving. He reloaded the shotgun and turned left on to Wilson Street.

As James was scanning the back alleys and side streets, trying to figure out the best way to approach the church, his flashlight caught something lying in the road by a gutter. James withdrew his handgun in case a Lurker decided to give him a little surprise and approached the object cautiously. As he got closer he realised what it was and bent down to pick it up. It was a pink bunny rabbit doll. Could this be Toby's? James examined it and noticed some writing on the label, definitely written by a child. It said, _'William Oldman, Oakley'_. James's blood ran cold. Did this mean that Pyramid Head had brought another child here? That he had him in his Lair right now along with Toby Griffiths? What the hell was going on? Why was Pyramid Head bringing children to Silent Hill? All of the questions that were circulating around James's mind were beginning to give him a headache.

James's thoughts were interrupted when he heard footsteps approaching south from Koontz Street. They were heading in his direction and fast. He stuffed the doll into his bag and switched off his flashlight covering himself in darkness. He crossed the street swiftly and made his way into a narrow alleyway between buildings and pressed himself tightly against the wall. His radio wasn't omitting any static and he knew why. The approaching footsteps weren't made by that of monsters; they were made by Order members. Just as dangerous.

The footsteps got louder as they made their way up Wilson Street and fell silent when the Order members stopped close to James's hiding place. Through the gloom they were just blurry shapes, but James thought there must be at least six of them. _Why are they roaming the streets in the middle of the night?_ James thought. _They never do, they know how dangerous it is at night. _James got his answer when one of the Order members addressed the others, his voice tinny behind his gas mask. As James listened a tight ball of fear began to grow in his stomach.

"He will protect us; there is no need to fear. You all know who you are looking for and what is to be done with him." The Order member held up his rifle. "Find the one named James Sunderland."


	5. Chapter 5

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17 eventually  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, sexual imagery/threat  
Pairing: Slight PH/James.  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: Sorry I've taken longer than usual to update this. I've been a busy bee lately but thanks very much for continuing to read and review. It's really appreciated.  
Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_And if they take what is not theirs, there can be no doubt.  
He'll stretch their skin until it snaps, and all the blood drains out._

James stood silently in the shadows listening to the retreating footsteps of the Order members echoing off the pavement, the thump-thumping of their boots sounding like an eerie death clock. He tried to calm himself long enough so he could think things through. So now instead of being hunted by Pyramid Head only, the men in the gas masks were after him too. But why? James had known about the Order's presence in Silent Hill for about as long as he'd been there but he'd never once thought that they had known about him. He'd always been careful to avoid them at all costs, knowing what they did to people who opposed their "Gods". So how did they know about him? And why were they looking for him?

_Come on, it's obvious, _he thought. _There's only one of you and God knows how many of them. They could have seen you roaming the streets at any time without you realising. You've also worked up quite a body count since you've been here. The corpses littered with bullet holes you've left lying in the streets would be enough to raise the alarm that someone other than themselves were getting a little trigger happy._

"But why now?" James whispered into the darkness. "If they've known about me for a while, why are they only choosing to come after me now?"

His subconscious spoke up once more. _Because before you weren't a threat. You were a hopeless case, a suicidal lunatic who would soon blow his brains out. Now you are choosing to oppose their beloved God. You are creating chaos, threatening the order of things. And they don't like that; they don't like that at all._

James felt a wave of despair wash over him, the darkness around him seeming to close in, making him feel claustrophobic. There was no way he could infiltrate the Lair now. He thought rescuing the kid would be near impossible even with the element of surprise on his side, but now the Order was looking for him, the chances of him even pulling this off had withered from slim to none.

He began to feel anger build up inside him too. He had actually begun to feel good about himself again. He had silenced the darkness inside him for the moment and was actually doing something right and just, stopped being so selfish and had taken a small step towards facing his fears. But as soon as he thought he was getting a little bit of his old self back, the forces that be, whatever the fuck they were, decided to go against him once more and throw another spanner in the works and crush his glimmer of hope of redemption. He was fighting a losing battle.

He let out a sigh and the weight of despair rested heavily on his shoulders. Who was he kidding anyway? The Lair was crawling with Order members and he was just one man, even if he got inside it wouldn't be long before he was discovered and dragged off to one of the torture chambers. Plus, he didn't even know if Pyramid Head would be there anyway. He just assumed he would be. He could be in the Labyrinth for all James knew. Hell, he could be anywhere. He was basing this whole rescue mission on assumptions and James silently scolded himself for being so stupid. The guilt that had been keeping him awake had made him rash and he hadn't thought things through properly, he hadn't planned things and had risked being discovered. He couldn't make the same mistake again. Now that he knew that the Order was looking for him too, the stakes were far too high.

James reached into his bag and pulled out the bunny rabbit doll that he'd found lying in the gutter just a few minutes ago. His eyes had grown accustomed to the dark and he could see the writing on the label without the aid of his flashlight. _'William Oldman, Oakley'_. Pyramid Head must have brought another child here; he must have him trapped along with Toby. Could it be possible that Toby was also from Oakley? If he was, then Pyramid Head was taking children from the town of Oakley for a reason and until that particular reason was achieved, children were going to continue to disappear. Whatever it was, James knew he wasn't going to find out by brooding in the dark. If he ever wanted to rest, if he ever wanted peace, however little he deserved, he knew what he had to do... he had to wait.

"You know where I am," whispered James, not to the dark but to someone else entirely who he knew was always listening. "You know where to find me. I'll-" James's voice cracked. The realisation of what he was saying was beginning to dawn on him, and he was terrified. "I'll be waiting."

Before he could even think about it, James exited the alleyway and ran as fast as he could back to Woodside Apartments. His mind was screaming at him, screaming that he did the wrong thing and that the demon was coming to drag him into the dark. But James's rapid footsteps and his pounding heart made just enough noise to drown out the warnings and prevented him from hiding once more.

James made it back to the apartments and his room without incident. On the journey back, the streets were eerily silent, even more so than usual. No tormented cries could be heard, neither snarls nor howls. A heavy feeling of anticipation hung in the air, as if all of the monsters had retreated to the very darkest corners of the town because they knew what was stalking the streets. They knew what had awakened and they knew that it was coming.

James wished he could do the same. He wished he could just keep running like he had always done ever since he had come here. He wished he could hide away in the shadows because that's essentially what he was... a shadow of his former self. But he knew he couldn't run forever and it was time to face his judgement once more, it was time to face his punishment. He didn't have a clue what the demon intended to do with him. He might drag him down into the depths of his lair and trap James in his own personal hell, tormenting him for all eternity. He might even kill James tonight; pierce that great knife of his right through his heart and out the other side.

James didn't know what he was expecting to gain when he made that offer in the darkness. Did he think Pyramid Head was just going to show up tonight with Toby and the other kid, William, unharmed offering a sincere apology? James would have laughed at the thought had he not been so afraid. He was hoping to gain something though. Something that would perhaps save the life of even one of the kids and prevent more innocents from being brought to this nightmare town. But the more James thought about it, the more that hope faded. This was _Pyramid Head_, evil in the purest form. James should know, he created him. The red demon was unmerciful, sadistic, corrupted. The last thing on earth the monster would do is show compassion. He delighted in the pain and suffering of others so even if there was a slight chance that Toby and William would be spared, it would most surely come with a price.

James paced the small room several times. He then sat down. Then he paced again. With each passing minute he became increasingly agitated. He just wanted it to be over with, he hated waiting. He'd spent countless nights like this, lying awake at night and listening to Pyramid Head roaming the halls. Waiting to see if he would show up or if he would just continue to toy with him, almost driving him insane with the ear splitting sound of his great knife scraping along the floor. The presence of his weapons in past days made those nights more bearable because James knew in the back of his mind that he always had a slim chance of survival as long as he kept fighting. But now his weapons were in his bag on the floor untouched. James wasn't going to need them tonight. He wasn't intending to delay the inevitable any longer.

He was beginning to think that his tormentor would never show up until he heard that all too familiar sound.

_*Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape. Thud, thud, scrape*_

He was here. James stood a few feet away from the door to the apartment. The footsteps were getting closer. Sweat trickled down his forehead and an icy prickle ran up his spine. His hands and legs were trembling and James was afraid his knees were going to buckle. He felt nauseous and his mouth was as dry as cotton wool. James let out a shaky breath as the footsteps stopped.

Silence.

The silence was shattered as the door flew inwards almost coming off its hinges and Pyramid Head stood there in all of his horrifying glory. A crimson aura surrounded him and the black bugs that often followed him crawled over the doorframe but never entered the apartment. His apron was stained with blood, as was his great knife and his muscles bulged under the weight of the huge rusty pyramid shaped helmet.

The monster took a step forward and James automatically took a step back. He knew he was supposed to face this but that didn't stop him from being scared shitless. His teeth began to chatter despite the fact that he was sweating profusely and he couldn't stop shaking. This reverse reflection routine continued, step forward, step backward, step forward, step backward until James's back hit the kitchen counter and he could retreat no more. Pyramid Head propped his great knife up against the wall and placed both of his hands on the kitchen counter either side of James, trapping him.

James's breath became laboured and he looked up in fear as his tormentor leaned down, closing the height gap between them so they were merely inches apart. James flinched as Pyramid Head raised his right hand. He expected the demon to strike him and braced himself for a blinding pain but instead felt confused and uneasy as the gloved hand began gently stroking his hair, fingers running through his blonde locks. This caress continued as the monster spoke, as always, barely above a whisper.

"_Waiting for me hmm? You could have done this much sooner my Creator."_

The hand that was caressing his hair tightened and Pyramid Head pulled James's head back fiercely. James was terrified that his neck was going to snap and let out a hiss of pain.

"_That poor, poor child... He could have been saved had you come to me sooner James. Had you embraced me... and that beautiful darkness inside of you."_

Pyramid Head's left hand moved from the kitchen counter and under James's t-shirt, caressing his hip bone and ribcage with terrifying gentleness. James tried to jerk away but the hand in his hair tightened even further and James fell still at once in fear of his scalp being ripped clean off.

He'd witnessed this side to Pyramid Head many times before. He knew that the son of a bitch enjoyed inflicting pain and causing death, he enjoyed tormenting people and watching them snap but of course his sadistic side did not end there. Pyramid Head revelled in causing distress to other creatures, human or otherwise, and apart from pain, there were other ways of causing distress. He'd seen the red demon take out his sexual urges on other creatures more than once. The Mannequin creature when he'd first arrived in Silent Hill, a Nurse in Alchemilla Hospital just a few weeks ago and other numerous occasions that he didn't like thinking about.

Pyramid Head was sadistic beyond comprehension and the creature's violent nature wasn't the only reason that James evaded the monster at all costs. If he was willing to do these vile things to the creatures that roam the streets, he was willing to do it to anyone. The only difference being that James had never seen an ounce of gentleness coming from his tormentor with the other creatures, yet he was showing a great deal of it now. Somehow, the act of gentleness was a lot more unsettling than if Pyramid Head would have just taken what he wanted by force.

The hand that was caressing James's ribcage began to make its way slowly downwards, over his stomach and beneath the waistband of his jeans. Panic flared up inside of James and spurred him into action.

"Wait! Just stop! I was waiting for you because..." James was finding it difficult to breathe. "The kid... just-just let him go."

"_The child is beyond saving... you saw to that my Creator."_

The hand made its way further downwards and James's panic reached a new level.

"No! You've bought another kid here, I... I know you have! You're b-bringing them from the town of Oakley. There has... has to be a reason. Just tell me what it's going to take for you to stop!"

The hand stopped moving and after a short silence that felt like hours to James, the monster spoke.

"_There is a man who... like you, has been to this town before. But unlike you... he escaped. He's now living in the town of Oakley and I want you to bring him home my Creator... His name is Alex Shepherd."_

James had never heard of him but already felt sorry for the poor bastard. He'd been to this hell hole before and had been lucky enough to get out alive. Now he was going to be dragged back, back down into hell.

"How am I supposed to bring him here? I... I'm trapped in this town!"

"_I'll open the doorway for you my Creator. I'll let you go back to the real world... go further than I can and bring this man back. No more children need be sacrificed."_

"And if I bring this guy back... what happens to me?"

"_I'll let you go James. I'll give you resolution... It's that simple."_

James didn't believe for a second that Pyramid Head would let him go. He hadn't been tormenting him for days, weeks, and months on end just to let him slip away that easily. But it was either accept the bastards offer and have a small chance of doing something right for a change or refuse and be taken away to die a painful death or... or worse.

"Fine... I'll do it."

James could almost hear the monster smiling. He let out a startled cry when Pyramid Head lifted him up with ease and sat him on the kitchen counter so he was level with the creature's helmet. He began to panic once more as Pyramid Head pulled him close and before he knew what was happening, James's head was _inside_ the helmet, face to face with the creature.

James had never in his life been so grateful for darkness. He couldn't make out the face that was inches away from his as it was cast in deep shadow. The only thing that was barely visible beneath the pyramid, due to the little light that was filtering in from below, was the creature's mouth. James could just make out a pair of black lips that looked very human and a strong jaw. When Pyramid Head spoke once more, he could make out a set of pearly white teeth which again looked human.

"_When you get back to the real world my Creator, you know not to try and escape me don't you? You're not going to run because you know what will happen. I will take more children... make them scream... make them beg... make them bleed. Then I will find you... you know I'll find you wherever you go. I'll bring you back here... and you will stay with me forever."_

James knew only too well. He was in deep shit right now. He was on the edge of the cliff and he was terrified of falling.

"_I know you won't try to escape me... but just to be sure... I need to give you something. Now hold still."_

James felt fear flare up inside of him as the creature placed his lips against his. He tried to pull away but he felt a gloved hand being placed at the back of his neck to prevent escape. James's lips were parted as a cold tongue made its way inside his mouth, exploring every inch. He was so tempted to bite down but he knew he'd be killed instantly if he even tried. He squeezed his eyes shut, tried to block it out.

_This can't be fucking happening! _James thought. _I agreed to the deal. The deal is done, sealed, so leave me alone you bastard!_

James heard a sickening lurching noise coming from Pyramid Head's stomach and slight tremors began to pass through the creatures frame. The noises became more frequent and violent and all at once James felt something pass from the creature's mouth into his. The liquid substance was warm and tasted of copper. Blood. James was hit with a sickening realisation that Pyramid Head was passing some of his own blood into him. It travelled down his throat and into his stomach before James even knew what was happening.

When it was done, Pyramid Head withdrew his tongue and mouth but not before biting James on his bottom lip, drawing blood. He let go of James's neck and James fell to the floor gasping and coughing violently.

_Need to vomit! Need to get the blood out of me now! _James thought frantically.

"_Don't even think about it my Creator... my blood is inside of you, coursing through your veins... I am a part of you now. We are connected."_

James felt sick and helpless. The son of a bitch had got him. He was right, they were connected and he knew why, even as it was happening. He gave James his blood so that if he did try to escape in the real world it would be impossible because the creature was a part of him now. It was his insurance, his guarantee that James wouldn't run. And James couldn't do a fucking thing about it.

"_Go to sleep James... in the morning, the doorway will be open for you... and you will bring Alex Shepherd home."_

* * *

"I'm sorry Dr Fox; I really don't think I can do this right now."

Alex leaned forward in the comfortable arm chair and buried his face in his hands. He was in Dr Fox's office for his appointment with the psychiatrist but the last thing he felt like doing was talking. He didn't have the energy to be selective about what he was saying today. If he started talking then he would have to leave out certain parts of the incident that happened yesterday whilst what he really wanted to do was to get it off his chest.

He wanted to tell somebody, anybody, about what had been happening to him lately. Dr Fox would most definitely ship him off to the insane asylum with a sticker labelled "Lunatic" if he heard about it, and who could blame him? Arms coming through the wall and blood dripping from the ceiling didn't exactly scream sane.

He knew that there would be only two people who would understand what he was going through, two people who would believe him. Elle and Wheeler. But Wheeler had his own life now, he was moving on. And he didn't want to worry Elle any more than she was; she needed to move on too.

"Now Alex, just sit back and take your time. You've only been here ten minutes."

"I know, but I'm not really in the mood to be talking today Dr Fox," replied Alex with all of the patience he could muster.

He just wanted to go home and have a peaceful sleep. He felt like he could sleep for an eternity, he was so tired. After the incident with the _thing_ that grabbed him yesterday, he didn't get one ounce of rest that night. He was getting more paranoid with each passing hour, jumping at the slightest noise and becoming more weary of shadows.

The pull of Silent Hill was becoming stronger, something was calling to him. Something wanted him to go back there for whatever reason and he was terrified that whatever it was that wanted him back was going to come for him soon, pull him back to that town screaming and screaming.

But what of William and the other little boy? There had been no news on William's disappearance; the police still hadn't found anything. Bill and Iris were in bits and Alex felt guilty every time he looked at them. He was beginning to question whether he should have held back information from Stanton. He could tell the police to go to Silent Hill; he was certain that's where the children were. But he knew it wouldn't be that easy. Even if the police did believe him and didn't lock him up for withholding information, they'd never get into the Otherworld of Silent Hill which is where William and Toby most likely were. Only a select few get to wander into the Otherworld, only the select few who deserve Hell... or crave it.

As if sensing his thoughts, Dr Fox spoke. "I heard about your neighbour's son going missing. Another child gone, it's so terrible. Is that what's affecting you Alex?"

"No," Alex said, a little too defensively. "Why would it affect me?"

"Well, what with your brother and all. Wasn't William the same age as Josh?"

Alex didn't like Dr Fox's patronising tone and the way he was tilting his head to one side, as if he were talking to a child.

"I think I'm going to leave now Dr Fox," said Alex as he stood up and made his way to the door. "I'll see you at our next session; I need to get some sleep that's all."

"Of course you do. Still having nightmares about Silent Hill Alex?"

Alex stopped. His hand tightened on the door knob. He turned around and looked at Dr Fox who was sitting in his chair, a small smile playing upon his lips.

"What did you just say?" asked Alex, his voice hoarse.

"Do you think me a fool Alex, hmm? Did you think that by not disclosing certain parts of your past to me that I wouldn't find out? You were in a hospital before coming to Oakley, after what happened to your brother, and with hospitals come records. It wasn't hard to find out everything about you once I had the basic information to get me started."

Dr Fox let out a small chuckle and stood up but didn't make any further movement. Alex felt a sickening feeling begin to grow in his stomach. What else did Dr Fox know about? And how the hell did he know about Silent Hill?

"So what? I've been to Silent Hill," said Alex, keeping his voice as steady as he could. "A lot of people have been there, it's a tourist town. Hell, it borders my old town of Shepherds Glen so I wouldn't call it extraordinary that I've been there."

"Of course other people have been to Silent Hill Alex... but not like you. You know what I'm talking about. The fog, the blood stained streets, the creatures."

Alex fought to keep the trembles that had now begun to spread all over his body under control. He needed to think! Why was Dr Fox telling him all of this? And how did he know about it all in the first place? This was all happening too fast for Alex, this situation was heading somewhere and it wasn't good.

"You're confused Alex, I know. Have a seat; we still have forty five minutes left of our session. Sit down and all will become clear."

"I'd rather stand."

"_Sit!_" Anger flashed through Dr Fox's cold grey eyes but that anger was quickly replaced with calculated and cunning. The word snake came to Alex's mind. "You do want to find out how I know about all of this don't you Alex? Then sit down."

As if on auto pilot, Alex sat down in the arm chair opposite Dr Fox. He felt as if he weren't in his own body, like he was a spectator watching the events unfold and he couldn't stop them from happening.

"Children are going missing from our little town of Oakley Alex and you know more about it than you're letting on don't you my boy?"

"I know no more about it than anybody else in this town."

Dr Fox chuckled, "It's time to stop playing games Alex."

"You're the one playing games!" Alex shot back, his anger taking over for the moment. "I've been coming to you for five months. I told you about Josh, told you how I've felt since it happened and you've sat there and listened. You listened to my problems and fed me your bullshit about how I'll get over it but all the while you were just playing with me. Fucking _laughing_ at me!"

"You really need to get that anger of yours under control Alex, quite a temper you have there isn't it?" said Dr Fox, a smug smile on his face. "I thought you'd eventually open up about Silent Hill but you've been very resilient. This is a necessary step I had to take. Children are going missing and we both know it has something do with that town... and you Alex. You've brought something back with you, you're _infected _and we can't have it spreading into Oakley. We can't have it upsetting the order of things, do you understand?"

"The order of things?" Judge Holloway, Elle's mother, suddenly flashed through Alex's mind. Dr Fox sounded just like her. The hairs on the back of Alex's neck stood up and a feeling of dread began to form in his stomach. "How do you know about Silent Hill?"

"All will become clear soon enough but first we're going to ask you a few questions. You're going to tell us everything about Silent Hill. Oakley will _not_ become another Shepherds Glen!"

"I don't know anything!" Alex insisted. "I don't know why kids are going missing; I don't know what that town wants with me!"

"Don't worry, we'll make you remember. We have our ways. Now, we're going to take a trip to the asylum and see if we can't get you to tell us everything."

Alex felt a stab of fear as soon as Dr Fox mentioned the word asylum. He couldn't go back to another hospital, another institution; there was no way he was going back. They'd have to kill him first as far as he was concerned. Dr Fox was smiling cruelly and Alex took his chance. He shot up out of the chair and bolted for the door, flinging it open and running out in to the hallway. He thought he'd gotten away but his triumph was short lived when he ran straight into two, well built men in white doctor's coats who grabbed him by the arms.

Dr Fox stepped out in to the hall and shook his head at Alex. "Disobedience won't be tolerated Alex. You'll have to be punished for that little act of defiance."

"Fuck you, you son of a bitch! You think people won't notice when I go missing? You'll have the police knocking on your door soon enough!" spat Alex. He was furious and finding it difficult to get his temper under control. Fox's betrayal was the ultimate humiliation. He'd told this man everything about his feelings. Personal and private things that were hard enough to think about, let alone talk about with somebody. And Fox had known all along, had put Alex through the pain of re-living the death of his brother for nothing.

"You won't be gone long enough for anybody to notice Alex. My people are good; they won't need more than a few days to break you and if you co-operate, you'll return only with physical wounds. The severity of those wounds will be up to you. But if you try to pull another stunt like the one just a moment ago, well... there are always ways to make death look suicidal. Your records will re-surface and the death of your brother will come to light. After all, people won't find it hard to believe that you killed yourself with a past like yours."

Alex was trembling with fury and fear. The son of a bitch had thought this through. Alex felt one of the men who was holding him let go of his arm while the other man grabbed it and Alex felt both of his hands being handcuffed behind his back. He began to struggle but the man only held him tighter, his fingers digging into his biceps. The man who wasn't holding Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out a black piece of material. He tied it tightly around Alex's mouth, effectively gagging him.

Dr Fox smiled. "We're leaving now Alex. If you're good, this will all be over quickly. If not, we'll cause you more pain than you can ever imagine."

Alex snarled around his gag but his eyes were full of fear. It was happening all over again. Silent Hill, Shepherds Glen, Josh... All of the things Alex wanted to leave behind were coming back to haunt him. Dr Fox nodded to one of the men behind Alex and all at once, he could see nothing but black. He was blindfolded.

Alex felt himself being dragged down the hallway and then through a door. Cool air hit his face and he knew he was outside. He heard another door opening, this time it sounded like a vehicle door. He was then hoisted off his feet and shoved forcefully to the floor. He heard doors closing and was submerged in darkness and silence. He assumed he was in the back of some type of truck. The engine roared into life and they began to move.

Alex could do nothing but lie in the dark and try to think of a way out of the situation he'd found himself in. But no matter how much he tried to think of a way out, the nagging thought at the back of his mind that he may not live to see tomorrow wouldn't go away. It was constantly there, like an ever darkening shadow. The _tick-tock, tick-tock _of the death clock was slowly counting down.


	6. Chapter 6

Title: Drag Them Into Hell

Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17 eventually  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, some violence  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: I know each chapter normally includes both Alex and James but this one only includes James this time. I promise Alex will be in the next chapter =] Again, thanks for all the reads and reviews.  
Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_Remember to always behave, for sins he won't abide.  
He wields a rusty, jagged blade, to cut out your insides._

James awoke to the rough feeling of gravel underneath his left cheek and the taste of blood in his mouth. He opened his eyes groggily but immediately squeezed them shut again when bright daylight stung his sensitive eyes. _Daylight?_ No thick fog obstructing the skies but natural daylight. Was the light he saw when he opened his eyes really that of the sun? Or had he fallen asleep in his room with the flashlight on again? Which he often did when the constant cries of the tormented became too much to bear in the dark.

James opened his eyes again, more slowly this time letting them adjust to the light. He saw his right hand sprawled out in front of him and after a few seconds realised that he was lying on his stomach on an unknown road. With considerable effort he pushed himself up into a sitting position, unconcerned for the moment that he was sitting in the middle of the road like an unaware rabbit. Still squinting a little, James took in his unfamiliar surroundings.

A long stretch of deserted highway was laid out before him, surrounded by trees as far as he could see. Crows cawed in the distance and circled overhead, like vultures waiting to swoop down and attack their unsuspecting prey. Another person might have found the overhead crows menacing but James was amazed. Partly because it was the first normal animal he'd seen in months but more so because he could actually _see_ the animals that were making the noises. They weren't obstructed by thick fog and their cries weren't drowned out by that of beasts. He was back in the real world. James felt overwhelmed, he almost felt like crying. Not once since he became confined to Silent Hill did he think that he would ever wake up to the world he once knew. He never thought he'd be happier to hear the rustling of leaves in the wind or the sun on his face. _We take so many things for granted, _he thought. _We fail to see the beauty in things until after they are taken away from us, until they are no more than a memory._

James moved his attention from the crows up above to the sky were they flew. It was cloudless. So blue, so vivid... so beautiful. He felt like a child, amazed at everything that his new world had to offer, appreciating the beauty like only young eyes can. He felt the sun warming his pale skin and closed his eyes but opened them a second later. He wanted to experience everything, wanted to take everything of his old but new world in because he didn't know how long it would last. This could just be a wonderful dream for all he knew.

James knew it wasn't a dream though. The details of the previous night came flooding back to him and he knew that Pyramid Head had made good on their deal. He had opened the door for James, had let him leave Silent Hill behind him for the moment until he found the man called Alex Shepherd. James dreaded the thought of even finding this man. The sooner he found him, the sooner he would have to go back. Go back to that fog filled hell and go back to his tormentor to meet a fate that was yet uncertain. Even if he did find this Shepherd guy, he didn't have a clue how he was going to convince him to go back to Silent Hill with him. If he'd already been to the town once, he was going to be less than enthusiastic about going back there again. James knew that if he was in the same position, the only way he'd go back would be kicking and screaming.

James got to his feet and looked out at the road before and behind him, the highway stretching for miles both ways. He didn't even know where to start. He knew he had to get to Oakley but he didn't even know where it was. Hell, he didn't even know where _he_ was. He began to head north, following the road until he came to a gas station, a house or another car that he could maybe hitch a ride from. He put his hands in his jacket pockets and felt something in the left one. He pulled out his hand and produced a wad of dollar bills, tens, twenties and fifties. He counted the money and all in all he had three hundred dollars.

_I guess Pyramid Head remembered that even though money ain't worth shit in Silent Hill, it's still pretty important in the real world. He could have fixed me up with a car though, _thought James bitterly.

James had been walking for the best part of an hour without seeing a single passing car. He was about to give up hope when he finally spotted an empty looking gas station in the distance. As he approached it he saw that the forecourt was deserted and the place looked pretty worn down but despite its dishevelled appearance, there was an 'OPEN' sign on the door. James went inside, the bell sounding as he did, and he saw that there was a mini diner inside. Stools lined the counter and a few booths were littered about the place. He could smell coffee and bacon and his stomach growled hungrily. There was only one member of staff that he could see, a red haired middle aged woman whose name tag read 'Betty'. She looked at him with a hint of suspicion and James didn't blame her. He felt filthy and probably looked it. His clothes were dirty and stained, his hair dishevelled and his stubble heavy. To her he probably looked like a hobo or a crack head.

"Do you have a bathroom I could use?" James asked.

She looked at him disapprovingly, as if he was not going to the bathroom to piss but to shoot up. "Just round there. Don't make a mess, it's just been cleaned."

Despite her sarcastic tone and rather hostile manner, James would have happily sat there and let her insult him all day. She was the first human he'd had contact with in a long time and he was just happy that she didn't have two heads or razor sharp teeth. James smiled at her and made his way to the end of the counter and into the bathroom. He wanted to try and clean up as best he could until he got to a more populated area where maybe he could buy some new clothes and take a long needed shower. He leaned over one of the three sinks that the bathroom accommodated and splashed his face with cold water. The sensation felt good on his skin and he splashed his face a few more times. When he stood up and looked in the mirror that hung over the sink, James was shocked. He almost didn't recognise himself.

There were no huge differences to his face; to anybody else they barely would have been noticeable. But to James who knew his face more than anyone, the differences were huge to him. His cheekbones were more defined for a start. He knew that he'd lost weight since he had been in Silent Hill but he'd only studied his reflection the night before and even then his cheekbones hadn't been as defined as they were now. He looked as if he'd lost a few pounds since last night and he knew that weren't possible. His lips looked darker too, a deep shade of maroon. He noticed that he had a cut on his lower lip from where Pyramid Head had bit him the night before. He shuddered at the memory. He ran a hand through his hair and noticed tiny flecks of black mingled with the blonde. He examined his hair more closely and he definitely had some black hairs, they were very subtle, only noticeable if you were to look up close but they were there alright. What the hell? How was it possible that he'd start growing different colour hair now? After all he'd been through; his hair should be grey if anything.

"What the hell is happening to me?" James wondered out loud. He felt confused and frustrated. He had enough on his plate right now, the last thing he needed was another mind fuck.

James left the bathroom and was intending to leave the diner all together but couldn't resist the smell of food. He hadn't eaten properly in what felt like years and he couldn't resist ordering eggs, bacon, sausage and French toast with coffee. While he was eating he found out from Betty that they were in Maine and conveniently enough, not too far from Oakley. He should have known that Silent Hill was in Maine; after all he made the trip up there after... after Mary. But he couldn't remember even making the trip up there and that scared him. He thought he'd only been in Silent Hill for a few months, he was almost sure of it but if he couldn't even remember travelling there, could he have been there longer? He didn't want to think about it, he just wanted to finish his breakfast.

Just as James was finishing up and paying, a truck pulled into the diner's forecourt and a well built man wearing a red baseball cap stepped out and began filling his vehicle with gas. James thanked Betty and made his way outside.

"Excuse me. You wouldn't happen to be going to Oakley would you?" James asked as he approached the trucker.

The man looked at James with disdain. "No I ain't. And I don't have any money for your next hit either so why don't you just piss off?"

He turned back to the gas pump and James walked closer. He pulled out some money from his pocket and held it in the man's line of vision.

"I don't need money, I need a _ride_. Now, are you going to Oakley or not sir?"

The man looked at the money and James could almost see the dollar signs in his eyes. He plucked the bills from James's hand. "Well I suppose I could always take a little detour. Oakley it is, it's on my way anyway."

"Good." James got into the passenger seat and watched as the man went into the diner to pay for the gas. He saw a photograph on the dashboard of a pretty young woman holding a young baby in her arms. He guessed they must be his family. James looked at the baby beaming at the camera. So full of innocence, just like Toby. The man in the red cap, who later revealed his name to be Ralph, re-emerged from the diner minutes later and they were soon on the road.

It only took about forty five minutes to reach Oakley and the whole ride was pretty much spent in silence. Ralph had his money and he was getting paid to take James to Oakley, not to make conversation. James didn't care though, although he would have liked a bit of human conversation after spending so much time alone, he was more than happy to look out of the window at the sights that he didn't realise he'd missed so much until now. He felt like a convict recently released from prison, so glad to be out of the cage he'd been trapped in for so much time.

Ralph dropped James off in Oakley's town centre with no more than a "See ya around." It was a nice town, a little bigger than Silent Hill but less touristy and more community based. A lot of people seemed to know each other and were friendly. The architecture was quaint yet modern and the air was clean and fresh. After exploring for a little more than ten minutes, and getting a few strange looks off the locals, James found what he was looking for, a clothes store. James found something within the first five minutes, he wanted to change as fast as possible, the looks people were giving him was beginning to get ridiculous. He picked out a pair of dark blue jeans, a black t-shirt and a light grey jacket. He decided against buying new shoes, his boots would do him just fine.

After exiting the store with his old clothes in his shopping bag, James stopped and stood for a minute. He didn't know where to begin to look for Shepherd. He didn't know anything about the man so how the fuck was he going to find out where he _lived_? He needed access to records or something, but what _kind_ of records? Pyramid Head should have given him more information! Did he think that he was just going to turn up at Oakley and the first person he'd bump into would be Alex Shepherd? While James was standing on the sidewalk, he was too busy cursing the whole shitty situation that he was in to notice that the answer was staring him straight in the face.

Right in front of James was a phone booth with a phone book attached to it. James snatched it up hastily and immediately began looking for Shepherds name. He was dismayed when he found that the guy was unlisted.

"Damn it!" said James fiercely, throwing the book down in frustration.

He began to turn away when another name popped into his head, the only other name that had a shot of getting him anywhere. He rifled through the book and silently cheered when he found the name he was looking for: Oldman. There were four Oldman's listed. Alison, Burt, John and William. James hoped to god that the kid was named after his father and it wasn't just pure coincidence that there just happened to be another William Oldman in the town. He memorised the address, 105 Autumn Street and asked the nearest person for directions. It was only a ten minute walk and James set off. The sky was still blue but it was getting late and flecks of gold and orange began to paint the sky as the sun began to set.

While he was making his way to Autumn Street, he went through in his mind what he was going to say to this man. He didn't know what to say. He couldn't just turn up on the doorstep and ask if he knew where Alex Shepherd lived. The chances were that he probably wouldn't even know him. If he didn't, James could always just say that he'd gotten the wrong house and be off without any trouble. But then he would be back to square one again, no closer to finding Shepherd.

James was still at a loss of what to say when he approached William Oldman's house. There was a little blonde girl; James guessed she must have been about seven, sitting on the front lawn playing with some teddy bears. James walked up the path and the girl walked over to him cautiously.

She looked up at him with huge brown eyes and spoke in a timid voice. "Are you a police man?"

"Um... no I'm not," James replied awkwardly.

"Have you come to tell us about my brother? Have you found William? Mommy won't stop crying, she says a man has taken William away."

James looked into the girls eyes and felt a stab of sympathy. _If only you knew kid, _he thought grimly.

"Molly? Molly come here right now!" James looked up and saw a man descending the porch steps that led up to the house with a worried but angry expression on his face. He put his arms protectively around the girl and spoke in a concerned voice tinged with fear, "How many times have I told you not to talk to strangers?"

The man who James guessed must be the girl's father and therefore William Oakley, looked at James suspiciously and put his arms even tighter around his daughter's shoulders. His anger was understandable. One of his children was missing, the last thing he needed was his other one being taken from him.

"Who are you?" he asked gruffly.

James said the first lame excuse of an answer he had thought of in the first place because he didn't know what else to say, "I'm... looking for a man called Alex Shepherd. Do you happen to know him by any chance?"

William looked at James through narrowed eyes. James expected the man to rush indoors any minute now and call the police on the crazy lunatic that had just been talking to his daughter. But James didn't expect to get anywhere near as lucky as he did.

"Wrong house, Alex lives next door. Have a good day sir," replied William, clearly trying to get rid of James as fast as possible.

James couldn't believe the lucky break he'd just gotten. He thought he'd have to search every inch of the town for Shepherd while he only lived one door away from the kid who'd gone missing. He suddenly realised that he was taking pleasure in the fact that he'd just gotten lucky at the expense of a missing child. He felt ashamed of himself and had to keep reminding himself why he was in Oakley in the first place.

James walked up Shepherd's steps and before he could even think about what he was going to say when the man answered, he knocked on the door. He could hear a dog barking somewhere inside and knocked again but still nobody answered. He walked over to the front window and peered through. The living room was empty except for a black Labrador who was looking at him curiously. He knew Alex mustn't be home but he still wanted to take a look inside. It might help him learn more about this guy and what Pyramid Head wanted with him.

He walked around the perimeter of the house until he found an open window and squeezed through as quietly as he could. He was in a small room which appeared to be the study yet there was no computer in there. Just boxes piled high from floor to ceiling filled with papers and such. He stepped out into the hall and the dog that he'd saw just moments before came bounding in from the living room. James thought it was going to savage him but it only jumped up and began licking his face enthusiastically.

James petted the mutt. "Not much of a guard dog are you?" A closer inspection of the dog's name tag revealed that the Lab was called King.

He walked in to the living room with the dog close behind and took a look around. The room still looked like it was half decorated so James thought that he mustn't have lived in the house long. There was a photograph above the fire of a young dark haired teenager with his arm around a young boy who looked strikingly similar to the teenager. They were both smiling and James guessed that the older guy must be Alex Shepherd. Finally he had a face to put with the name. The photograph looked a little old though. On the coffee table behind him, next to some car keys, James found a small bottle of pills. The label read, '_Alex Shepherd, 107 Autumn Street, Oakley. Anti-depressants, Dr M Fox.'_

_Whatever happened to this guy in Silent Hill must have affected him badly, _James thought. He turned his attention to the computer in the corner and logged on. He cursed when he saw that it was password protected. He tried Alex Shepherds name first, then his first name alone, then his last name alone. He was denied each time. The dog whined softly next to him and James began to type four letters. K-I-N-G. It worked.

"Not a very good guard dog but you're a lucky son of a bitch, literally!" James patted the dog on the head.

James snooped around in Alex's files but didn't find anything of much importance. He decided to search for this guy on the internet to see if he could find anything that would help him get a better idea of what his role was in all of this. He found his answer on a webpage which contained an old newspaper article from Shepherd's Glen newspaper. Shepherd's Glen, he knew that town. It wasn't far from Silent Hill. The article was over five years old. James read with interest.

_Tragedy struck yesterday when a resident of Shepherds Glen drowned in Toluca Lake in a horrific accident. Joshua Shepherd, 9, was out on the lake in a boat with his older brother Alex Shepherd, 17, late last night when he fell overboard and drowned. _

James looked at the photo on the mantel piece. The little boy must have been Joshua and the older boy Alex, when he was seventeen. He continued to read.

_The details of exactly how he fell are not yet known. It is also unclear at this point what the two brothers were doing out on the lake at that time of night and in such heavy fog. _

_The boy's father, Adam Shepherd, 49, who is Sheriff of Shepherds Glen, found and retrieved Joshua's body from the lake when he went after his son's after he noticed they weren't in their beds. Adam and his wife Lillian, 43, are said to be devastated. _

_In a statement from Adam Shepherd regarding his sons tragic demise he said, "Me and my wife need this time to grieve the loss of our son Joshua. We loved him so much, he was the best son that a man could ask for and our lives will never be the same without him. There will forever be a hole in our hearts that nobody but Josh could have filled."_

_When asked about the condition of his eldest son Alex, who witnessed his brother's death, Adam Shepherd simply stated, "He's enlisted in the army, he's gone now."_

_Nobody in Shepherd's Glen has seen or heard from Alex since Joshua's death. Residents are being told by police to take extra caution whilst out on the lake._

_Jesus, _thought James. _This guy has got some baggage. _James knew that there had to be more to this guy than met the eye. Everybody who was unfortunate enough to end up in Silent Hill always ended up there for a reason. Something else must have happened the night his brother died and he wasn't going to find out until he asked him. But how was he going to do that? Where the hell was he? James supposed he could just wait until he turned up, but that would just be wasting time that he didn't have.

James's thoughts were interrupted by a loud banging on the front door of the house.

"Alex! Alex Shepherd are you in there? It's Officer Stanton!" came the loud voice from the other side of the door.

"Fuck!" whispered James. Had somebody seen him climbing in through the window and reported him? The last thing he needed was the police on his case.

"Alex if you don't open this door I'm going to kick it in. You have ten seconds Alex."

Stanton began to count down and James frantically closed the web pages and logged off the computer. The officer was on number five when James bolted from the chair and ran into the kitchen intending to escape through the back door. He pulled on the handle but the door wouldn't budge. It wasn't bolted from the inside so Shepherd must have locked it from the inside with a key. Stanton was on number three now, he'd be bursting through the door any second. James scanned the kitchen desperately and his eyes came to rest on another door he hadn't noticed before. He flung it open, relieved that it wasn't locked and saw that it was a pantry filled with shelves and canned food. He squeezed inside and closed the door just as Officer Stanton made his entrance at the front of the house.

King started to bark and James could hear Stanton checking out all of the rooms. He heard footsteps upstairs and then down again. He heard the cop in the living room and then making his way down the hall, opening doors as he went. Stanton finally made his way into the kitchen, his footsteps echoing loudly off the linoleum floor. James held on to the door knob, pulling with all of the strength he could in such a small space just in case Stanton decided to look in his hiding place. He prayed silently that he wouldn't. He then heard the officer speak, presumably into his radio.

"Yeah this is Stanton here. I'm in the Shepherd house now and there's no sign of him. Are you sure our witness saw what she saw?"

James strained to listen as the crackly voice on the other end responded.

"We're sure. She saw a man fitting Shepherd's description being bundled into the back of a van by two heavies and she swears blind that Dr Fox was with them. Hold on one second..."

There was silence for about two minutes and then the crackly voice on the other end of the radio burst into life again, talking excitedly. "Stanton, Stanton are you there?"

"I'm here. Go ahead."

"We've been trying to track down the van using the licence plate number that our witness managed to get and we think we've found it! It was seen heading west-bound a few hours ago and it's come to a stop at..."

James listened as the officer on the radio gave an address to Stanton. He mentally stored the address in his mind and began to frantically think of a way to get there.

"Okay, I'm going to head over there now. I'm going to need backup so I want you all to follow me down there right away. Understood?"

No! James knew he needed to get to Shepherd before the police; otherwise he'd have no chance of bringing him back to Silent Hill. He could always steal a car and try and get there before Stanton and his buddies, he just needed to get to Alex first. But he knew the chances of outrunning the police were slim.

"_... what you have to do."_

James jumped. Whispers in his head again, whispers that didn't belong to him. He squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the sinister voice.

"_You know what you have to do James... You have to get there first. Alex is mine... Alex belongs to us."_

"No," James chocked out. "Get out of my head!"

"_Kill him my Creator... get rid of him!"_

The green in James's eyes was suddenly swallowed by a deep blackness. He looked at his hand that was holding the doorknob and it seemed paler. He could actually see the blue veins that ran underneath his skin but he felt strangely calm, he felt very at ease. His blood felt like it was on fire but he didn't feel any pain. He looked at the doorknob once again and the silver metal that his hand was touching began to turn to rust. The rust continued to spread, enveloping the doorknob and creeping up the door. James turned the handle very calmly and stepped into the kitchen.

Officer Stanton had his back to James but as soon as he heard the door knob turning he spun around, his hand reaching for his weapon. James was too quick for him though and grabbed his hand, sending the gun flying across the room. Stanton tried to strike at James with his other hand but James grabbed that one too and began to squeeze it. Stanton's face twisted in pain and James smiled as he heard a few bones crack. Stanton let out an agonised cry and James swiftly grabbed him by the neck and bashed his head against the kitchen counter, once, twice until the cop lost consciousness and fell to the floor.

James knelt down and put his hands around Stanton's neck and began to tighten his grip. Violent thoughts flashed through his mind as he began to squeeze tighter. _Tighter. Harder. Crush him. Feel him die. So beautiful. Kill him!_

Another voice spoke to him from the depths of his mind, "_That's it my Creator... feel his last breath. Embrace the darkness."_

James squeezed his eyes shut and a switch flicked on in his head. The darkness in James's eyes began to clear, the emerald shining through once more and he realised with horror what he was doing. He withdrew his hands from Stanton's neck as if he'd just been burned and sat back on the floor, panting heavily. He felt nauseous and sat there in a daze. He looked at the body of the officer before him and forced himself to focus long enough to check the man's pulse. He let out a shaky breath when he felt a faint pulse and got to his feet seconds before running to the sink and vomiting violently.

What the hell had he just done? He'd almost killed a man! Had he come to his senses seconds later the man would surely have been dead. But that wasn't him! He knew it wasn't, it was that bastard in his head. He was making him do these terrible things, him and his fucking whispering! But James knew he was capable of murder, he'd done it before. And what terrified him more than anything was that when he was squeezing the life out of Stanton... he enjoyed it. He _loved_ it. What if he couldn't control the darkness in him next time? But he would! He wasn't going to go back to the person he used to be, he was going to do something right for once.

He knelt over the still unconscious Officer Stanton and spoke into his radio.

"Officer Stanton is down and needs assistance. 107 Autumn Street, I repeat, Officer down."

"Who is this? Where's Stanton?" came the reply but James ignored it. Instead he picked up Stanton's gun and put it in the waistband of his jeans. He then picked up the car keys that were on the coffee table and made his way toward the front door. He noticed that King was sitting at the top of the stairs, regarding him cautiously.

"Someone will be along soon to look after you boy."

James walked down the porch steps and over to Alex's car that was parked near the sidewalk in front of his house. He started the engine and drove off in the direction of the address he'd remembered earlier. He risked going over the speed limit, he needed to get there before the police. The incident with Stanton would have delayed them a little but it only gave him a small head start. He felt confused and scared; he didn't even know who he was anymore. He was beginning to lose trust in his own mind. He only hoped he could retain his hold on the person he knew he was until this whole thing was over.

He didn't even know how he was going to persuade Alex Shepherd to come back with him, or how he was even going to get him out of this place to begin with. He'd been kidnapped by his own doctor so he was obviously being held by some dangerous people. James knew he had to be careful when approaching the building. He also knew that if he didn't get Alex to come back to Silent Hill more kid's lives would be on the line, and so would his life. If Alex Shepherd wasn't going to come to Silent Hill willingly, then James was going to drag him back.


	7. Chapter 7

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, strong violence  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: I'm so sorry I've taken so long to update this! I've been really busy with Uni and such. Thanks so much to everyone who has continued to read and review. I hope this chapter was worth the wait and I'll try not to take so long next time.

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_The lying little children, with souls selfish and small.  
Will find their wriggling tongues cut out, and nailed to his wall._

Alex let out an agonised scream of pain as the hot metal rod burned his flesh just above the hip bone. He screamed around the piece of wood that had been placed and secured in his mouth to prevent him biting his own tongue. He thought he was going to pass out for the third time since they'd brought him here but he managed to remain conscious, his vision swimming before him.

He was suspended upright, his arms bound above his head with metal chains that were attached to the ceiling. He was naked except for his boxer shorts and was beginning to wonder how much more of this he could take. After what felt like a day long trip in the back of the vehicle that was used to bring him here, he was dragged into the daylight once more and taken into an abandoned asylum. As soon as he set foot in the place, Alex felt an overwhelming fear of dread and claustrophobia grip him. The smell of death hung heavy in the air but it wasn't natural death that Alex could smell, it was the death of the insane. He could smell suicide. He could smell people who had died by bashing their heads against their cell walls repeatedly. People who had bit out their own tongues and choked to death on their blood. He could smell the death of those who laughed manically as they slit their own wrists, laughter that would surely float down the abandoned hallways in the dead of night.

The two men who had manhandled him in Dr Fox's office had dragged him down a maze of twisting and turning hallways, with said Doctor following closely behind. The building was decaying. Rubble lay in piles along the corridor floors, brickwork was coming away from the walls and the sickly green paint was peeling in numerous places. _This must be their base of operations_, Alex thought as he was being dragged towards his doom. He thought he heard faint screams, as if he wasn't the only victim in this building. Were other people being tortured here? Surely they wouldn't have a huge building like this for the purpose of torturing just him alone. Before he could even think about it any further he was shoved into a small, windowless room and stripped and bound. The gag was removed from his mouth and in its place, a small piece of wood for him to bite down on, fastened by a length of string around the back of his head.

Fox stood in the doorway looking at Alex with an inane sense of glee shimmering in his eyes. "If you tell us everything you know now Alex, we'll let you go. There will be no need for these chains or instruments." He stepped closer. "Why is Silent Hill calling you?"

Alex only stared at Fox with barely contained fury. If he didn't have the piece of wood in his mouth he would have told him to go fuck himself.

The Doctor shook his head with mock disappointment and looked at the two men in white coats. "Do whatever you have to do to make him talk. When he's ready to open up, come and get me." Still speaking to his men but looking at Alex he said, "If he loses consciousness, wake him up. I don't want him to have a moments respite from the pain."

He then turned on his heel and closed the door behind him, leaving the men to go to work. Alex watched Doc #1 wheel a metal tray over to where he was tied, running his eyes over the instruments of torture that lay on top of it. Alex told himself that he would just block it all out, go to a place in his mind where the pain couldn't touch him, hold out until someone, sooner or later, would come and rescue him. But as he watched Doc #2 plug in a set of metal tongs to a socket on a nearby wall, as he watched those tongs heat up, getting hotter and hotter, as he watched Doc #2 put those tongs on the arm of a nearby leather chair and the steam rise as the arm of the chair was burned with ease, he became less and less convinced that he was simply going to be able to block out the pain. The first burn on his skin was the worst pain he'd ever felt in his life, but it wasn't the first time he'd passed out.

The second time he'd passed out, Doc #1 woke him by pouring an ice cold bottle of water over his head. Then, when there was no indication that Alex was ready to talk, he began again with the tongs. From what he could remember, he'd been burned five times now. All on different places on his torso, the latest addition as he let out an agonising scream, was just above his hip bone. He bit down hard on the wood that was in his mouth as the searing pain ripped through him at an agonising level. Steam rose from his skin as it was burned and his other wounds throbbed relentlessly. He squeezed his eyes shut forcing back tears and trying to remain conscious. He needed to get out of here! He had no information to give them but they didn't believe him so they were going to continue to torture him until they realised he was no use and killed him or he died of shock.

He was busy frantically trying to think through the haze of pain when Doc #2 spoke. "Take him down and get him in the chair. It's time to try a new method."

Doc #1 reached above Alex's head and his arms were released from the chains but his hands were still shackled together. Alex's legs felt numb and they gave way beneath him, he collapsed in a heap on the floor. Both men dragged him to his feet and pushed him into a chair that resembled the kind you see at the dentists, only this one had leather straps hanging from it. Alex's head was swimming as the leather straps were fastened across his torso. This elicited a fresh cry of pain from him as they tightened over his sensitive wounds. His hands were still bound in front of him but his feet were free. He began to nod his head violently, the signal for when he was ready to talk. Doc #1 took the piece of wood out of Alex's mouth.

"I'm ready to talk," said Alex hoarsely. His throat hurt from screaming so much.

"Go and get Fox," said Doc#2 to Doc#1. Doc#1 hurried out of the room, leaving the door slightly ajar.

"You're a tough son of a bitch, you know that? Six burns and not a single word. Why don't we have some fun while we're waiting hmm? See how tough you really are." Doc#2 picked up a scalpel from the tray, his eyes gleaming almost as brightly as the metal instrument. He ran his eyes all over Alex, like an artist studying a blank canvas.

Alex tried to stay calm and in control. This was his small window of chance, he couldn't mess it up. He was running out of time.

"Where shall we start?" inquired Doc#2, completely enraptured with the task at hand. "Shall we give your torso another round?" He bought the scalpel close to Alex's cheek. "Or shall we start on that pretty face of yours?"

Alex began to whisper something that was barely audible to the sadistic Doctor. Doc#1 bought his ear close to Alex's mouth to try to hear what he was saying and that's when Alex took his chance. He went for the neck and bit down. Hard. Doc#1 let out a scream of pain but it was short lived as Alex held on with all of his might and ripped out a chunk of the Doc's neck. A fountain of blood erupted from the ruptured arteries and sprayed Alex in the face. Doc#1 fell to the floor twitching and writhing in agony, the blood flowing freely from his neck. It took him just over a minute to die, and then he lay still in a pool of crimson.

Alex moved as fast as he could, undoing the straps that held him and pulling on his trousers as best he could with his hands shackled. He located his boots and threw them on; his t-shirt would have to get left behind. He heard footsteps coming down the hall, no doubt Dr Fox and Doc#1. Alex scanned the room frantically and his eyes came to rest on a crowbar propped up in the corner of the room. He dreaded to think what they would have used that for had he not escaped. He picked up the crowbar and stood with his back to the wall behind the door breathing heavily. His mouth was smeared with blood and his face was painted with it. The wounds on his torso looked raw and painful and some of the blood from this mouth had dripped down onto his chest. He looked like a warrior from hell.

The footsteps were getting closer, almost at the door now. Alex steadied his hands and tried to slow his breathing as best he could. The door swung inward, hiding Alex from view. He heard Fox's surprised gasp as he discovered the lifeless corpse of Doc#2. This was it; he had to do it now. Running mainly on adrenaline and trying to hold on to the last remaining threads of strength he had left he kicked the door, sending it slamming shut with a loud bang. Both of his tormentors turned around startled and Alex took aim. With one almighty swing of the crowbar he hit Doc#1's head at full force, the weapon making a sickening _THUD_ as it connected with his skull. Dr Fox let out an anguished cry as he was sprayed with a shower of blood and Doc#1 hit the floor an instant later. He was dead.

Dr Fox looked at Alex in disbelief, unable to believe that he had gotten the better of him. There was also fear in those cold grey eyes. Shepherd had a weapon, Fox didn't. There was only one thing he could do, he bolted for the door. Alex anticipated this and swung with the crowbar, catching Fox on the arm and opening a rather deep wound. Dr Fox let out a cry of pain but this didn't deter him. He flung the door open with such force that it rebounded off the wall and almost closed again. Alex cried out in frustration and set after the Doctor, skidding on Doc#1's blood as he did so. He almost lost his balance but managed to stay on his feet and threw open the door, just about managing with his bound hands. Fox had ran to the left and was almost at the other end of the corridor, getting ready to make a left turn.

Alex set after him and heard Fox shout frantically at the top of his voice, "WE HAVE AN ESCAPEE IN THE BUILDING. ALL MEN AFTER HIM! KILL HIM ON SIGHT, HE CANNOT LEAVE THE BUILDING!"

He kept repeating this order over and over again as he went until his cries became more distant the further away he ran. It would only be a matter of time before he got hold of a radio and had every man in the building looking for Alex in seconds. Alex decided to cut his losses while he had the chance, he had to get out and fast.

"I'll get even with you eventually you son of a bitch," Alex muttered and took a right down the corridor. He tried to remember which way he was taken when he was brought here but the place was like a maze, he had no idea where he was going. He just hoped to God he would find an exit eventually. He bolted down another long corridor, rooms of the tormented and the crazed passed by him in a blur. His footsteps echoed off the crumbling walls as if a ghostly spectator was following close behind him. He came to an intersection and slowed down, steadily making his way down the corridor, clutching the crowbar to his chest like a talisman. He cautiously poked his head around the corner, first to the left, and then to the right. And standing in the corridor to the right was a man in a white coat, another doctor. He hadn't seen Alex yet however, he was facing the other direction. Alex didn't want to kill another man unless he had to so as quietly but as quickly as he could he made his way down the corridor to the left, constantly looking back over his shoulder. He was almost around the corner, out of sight when the man turned his head and spotted him. Alex didn't wait for his reaction; he sprinted right around the corner and along the next corridor.

He heard the man shouting, alerting whoever else may be in the vicinity and then started running after him. Alex flew blindly down the corridors, turning this way and that, praying for an exit. _Please give me a break, please. _His wounds were throbbing intensely causing him great pain and his legs burned. Sweat ran down his face and body and his breath was catching in his throat. He heard the man behind him, his footsteps getting closer. He was finding it increasingly difficult to keep his balance with his hands shackled in front of him. Alex took another right and almost cried with relief as he saw a door with a sign marked 'EXIT' above it. _Don't be locked; please don't let it be locked! _He shoulder slammed the door at full force and it burst open letting in bright sunlight. The relief he felt was immense but he couldn't stop running, he was still being hunted. If he could have seen his reflection in a mirror, he would have thought he looked like he'd just escaped from the pits of hell itself.

* * *

James approached the building at a speed that was almost reckless. He'd decided to not risk attracting any extra attention by driving too fast but the longer the journey progressed, the more desperate he became. The police weren't going to give a shit about speed limits; they'd be at the building before James was even half way there. He also didn't know how long Shepherd had left or if he was even still alive. The thought of Pyramid Head discovering that the man he was looking for had been killed before James even found him almost drove him into a frenzied panic. If Shepherd was dead, the whole thing would be over. Pyramid Head would kill the Toby and William, if they weren't dead already, and then he would drag James back to Silent Hill, deep down into his Lair. He had to find Shepherd before the police arrested him or his kidnappers killed him.

The building loomed on the horizon, becoming clearer the closer James got. It was an uninviting building and just the sight of it alone unsettled him. He heard the officer telling Stanton that it was an old abandoned asylum and it certainly looked abandoned. An image of a choking, unconscious Stanton flashed through James's mind and he forced the image away, trying to focus on the problem at hand. The asylum was surrounded by woodland as far as the eye could see. _How many escaped mental patients had ran through those woods in the dead of night, either being dragged back kicking and screaming or dying alone, left for the rats? _James thought morbidly.

He pulled up to the side of the building on a dirt lane that ended a few metres ahead. How was he even going to get in there? They could have the place alarmed and who knew how many men with guns were crawling around in there. The place was huge too; it would take him forever to find Shepherd. The police would be here within the next ten minutes and he would still be searching the ground floor. Sure, he had Stanton's gun but the clip only held eight bullets and he didn't have any extra ammo.

"Fucking dammit!" cried James in frustration. How the hell did Pyramid Head even think James could pull this off alone? He was just one man. One sorry shell of a man who had murdered his wife, he wasn't cut out for this sort of stuff! James was busy trying to think of a way to even get into the building when, like a sign sent from Pyramid Head himself, a door which was on the side of the asylum he was adjacent to burst open frightening him half to death. James turned his head sharply and his eyes widened. He saw a man running through the door, but not just any man, a man who looked like he'd just been on a killing spree. He was clutching a crowbar that was dripping with blood in his shackled hands and his face and chest were stained with the substance. He wasn't wearing a shirt and James could see he had five or six nasty burns which looked recent all over his torso. Despite his hellish appearance, James knew at once that it was the man he was looking for. It was Alex Shepherd.

Shepherd began making his way toward the front of the building, staggering in a zigzag direction as he did so. James knew he had to act fast before whoever was chasing him made themselves known. He put the car in reverse and slammed his foot down on the pedal, coming to a halt at the asylums entrance. He got out of the car and shouted to Shepherd who was stumbling in his direction.

"Alex! Alex Shepherd, over here!" James waved his arms frantically, increasingly aware that he was rapidly running out of time.

Shepherd made his way cautiously towards James, the crowbar raised in his hands. He studied the car James had come in, realisation dawning in his eyes.

"This is my car! Who are you? What do you want?" he shrieked, raising the crowbar a little higher.

James held up his hands, his palms open. "Look, I'll explain everything later. Right now you need to get in the car before they come after you."

"Why should I trust you? I couldn't even trust my own fucking _doctor_ for Christ sakes!"

Alex and James both turned their heads as four men in white coats came sprinting around the side of the building and began to head in their direction.

"Look, you can either take a chance with me or go back to the asylum and let them finish the job," James said. "Quickly now, they're almost here."

It didn't take him long to decide. Alex ran around to the passenger side of the car, flinging the crowbar away, and clambered inside. James slammed the door shut on his side and floored the accelerator just as the men were approaching. He took off down the dirt lane and made a hard right at the bottom of it leaving a cloud of dust and the asylum behind. He made sure to take a different route back to the one he came, the police would be looking for Alex's car and he couldn't risk running into them. He made mental note to ditch the vehicle as soon as possible. Alex was breathing heavily beside him, his chest rising and falling with each laboured intake of air.

"Are you okay?" James asked.

"Who are you?" replied Alex, fighting to stay awake. He was tired, he just wanted to sleep.

"My name is James. James Sunderland. I-I've been looking for you." James didn't know what else to say. Hell, what was he supposed to say? "Hi, my name is James and I've been sent from Silent Hill where you've already been to drag you back there. Pyramid Head really wants to see you, so shall we get going?" It was absurd, no matter what he said, he wasn't going to get Shepherd to come willingly. He turned to face his passenger, ready to say something else but stopped when he saw that the man had fallen asleep. His mouth was open slightly and his brow was furrowed into a troubled frown. James focussed on the road ahead and decided that sleep was the best thing for him. _Sleep while you can Shepherd, _James thought. _It will be your last untroubled sleep in a while. _

He drove on.

XXX

Alex had troubled dreams. They were dreams of men in white coats, burning his skin. Dreams of blood pouring from fractured skulls, blood stained crowbars, haunted asylums. He dreamed of a man with blonde hair, flecks of black amongst the golden locks. He dreamed of waking up in his car, the man beside him who he thought his name was James handing him a drink, and then after that... he couldn't remember anything.

Alex woke up with a start, his breath catching in his throat. He opened his eyes and saw curtains to his left fluttering in the morning breeze. As his vision began to clear he took in his surroundings. He was on a rather uncomfortable bed, and another bed, unoccupied, lay to his right. There were fresh clothes on the bed next to him and a glass of water on the nightstand. He was in a motel. He sat up and winced in pain as his wounds began to flare up. He looked down at his bare chest and stomach and saw that his burns had been cleaned and dressed. The shackles from his hands had also been removed and in their place were deep cut marks around his wrists. Somebody had also cleaned the blood off of him and that person, who Alex knew as James, came through the motel door with a bag full of fast food in his arms at that very moment. The smell made Alex's stomach rumble and he realised he was starving. James reached into the bag and threw a wrapped hamburger at him, which Alex just about managed to catch.

"Where are we?" he asked, still not fully trusting James. He could be anybody!

"Eat first, questions later," James stated simply. Alex looked at him for a few more seconds and then began eating his burger. James took another burger out of the bag and started on his. They ate in silence, a sense of anticipation hanging in the air.

After they had both finished their food and Alex had changed into a fresh pair of clothes, they sat in further silence, studying each other warily. After five minutes of saying nothing, Alex could take it no longer and broke the stillness that hung between them.

"So we've eaten. What the hell is going on here?" he asked, a hint of frustration in his voice.

"If you don't remember, my name is James Sunderland."

"I remember. That's the only thing about you that I _do _know. You haven't told me anything else, start explaining."

"I've come from Silent Hill." At the mere mention of Silent Hill, the entire colour drained from Alex's face and a fine tremor passed through his frame. He immediately tensed up but continued to listen.

James felt sorry for the guy, he was obviously terrified but he had to carry on, he had to know the reality of the situation. "Kids have been going missing from your town as you are obviously aware and I think you're also aware of who's been taking them."

"I... I don't know what you're talking about," replied Alex, averting his eyes and beginning to tremble.

"Come on Alex, cut the bullshit. You and I both know who it is... and what he wants. I've been sent by him to find you, and to bring you back. He's looking for you Alex."

Alex's head snapped up and there was anger blazing in his eyes. "And you just obey his orders do you? You're the guy who runs all of his errands? Well I'll tell you something, I'm not going back there do you hear me? He can go fuck himself because I'm not going back there for anything, _ever_!" Alex was fighting to get his rage and fear under control. He was just beginning to get his life back and now everything was crashing down around him.

"You would never go back there huh? Not even for two little kids?"

Alex's expression softened and his anger was ebbed for the moment. James continued, "Alex, please just listen to me. I understand your fear of that town. Believe me, I know how you feel. I was brought to Silent Hill some time ago... I forget how long, and I've been there ever since. I shouldn't have stayed, should have got out while I had the chance but I didn't. Now, the thing that wants you has been haunting me, _stalking_ me ever since. You're not the only person he has unfinished business with. But Alex, there's two little kids who've been taken by him and who knows how many others in the future. You and I may not be innocent but those kids are... do you really want to leave them to the creatures of that town? Could you live with that on your conscience?"

Alex was quiet for a long time. James got up and sat next to him on the bed, letting out a weary sigh as he did so.

Alex finally spoke, his head down. "My brother... he was taken from me, and I- I saw him again in Silent Hill. I thought I'd laid everything to rest that day, in that town. I thought I was free of its hold on me. Why? What does he want with me?"

James studies Alex's profile. The picture he'd saw of him and his brother in his house resembled him but he had grown into a man, although he was still recognisable. He had a strong jaw line and dark brown eyes. His lips weren't too thin and weren't too full and his brown hair was messy yet looked presentable. Suddenly James had an urge to run his hand through that head of hair.

_Must touch... must feel him._

James's hand began to slowly reach out, thoughts and whispers running through his head. _No, no, no! I don't want you in my head, get out! I don't want these thoughts!_

But James's hand continued to reach, his eyes slowly clouding over with darkness.

_Let me feel him through you my Creator. I've waited so long, waited so long for the both of you to come home. That's it... reach out, reach out my Creator._

An image of Toby Griffiths being dragged off into the fog flashed through James's mind and with all of the strength he could muster he pulled his hand away, silencing the voice for now. Alex who was so lost in his thoughts had no idea of what just occurred.

"I-I don't know what he wants with you Alex, but we have to go back. Do you understand? We have to go back to Silent Hill. We're in a motel just outside of Maine, we need to head east on the highway on foot."

"And then what? We just walk into that god forsaken town? Even I know it's not that simple."

"I don't know. When he... he let me come back, I fell asleep and woke up on the highway. We'll just head to that same spot and see what happens. He'll probably open the doorway for us," James said miserably. The thought of going back to Silent Hill depressed him beyond belief.

Half an hour later they were out on the highway, heading east just like James had said. The road was deserted and crows cawed overhead. Alex felt like he was carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. He always said he'd never go back to Silent Hill for anything yet here he was on the road to nowhere. He knew why he was going, because he'd seen the agony on the faces of Bill and Iris. He knew how it felt to lose a loved one, if he could just send William back to them, and the other kid Toby back to his mother, maybe he would be able to escape that town too. But he knew that the chances of that were very slim and he finally asked the question he'd been dreading to ask since they set foot on the highway.

"... We're probably never going to make it back are we?"

"Probably not," James replied. "Silent Hill has a way of keeping hold of you, no matter how much you don't want it to."

Alex looked at the deserted stretch of highway before him and continued on. He felt as if he were marching towards his death.


	8. Chapter 8

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, moderate threat  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: I'm so sorry I've taken so long to update this! I have a habit of taking a while to write new chapters but rest assured, I have not given up on this story! I just have a lot going on at the moment but I'm really enjoying writing it. Thank you as always for all the reads and reviews. Much appreciated.

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_The bullies and their spiteful wrath will find torment as well.  
Soon he will strike them where they stand and drag them into hell._

The small camp fire flickered and hissed, sending tiny flecks of ember floating to the ground like burning ash. No birds cawed overhead like the first time James woke up on the highway, no scurrying footsteps of deer nor elk could be heard in the surrounding forest. Everything was as silent as the stars above them, which shimmered like crystals against the midnight sky. It was as if everything was calm and quiet for a reason, as if the surrounding wildlife knew that something was going to happen and were watching curiously from the safety of the woodland. Something was going to happen and James wished that it would just hurry up.

He and Alex had finished walking three hours ago, after leaving the motel an hour before that. James couldn't possibly remember the exact spot on the highway in which he woke up after leaving Silent Hill, so they just had to sit and wait on the roadside at the spot that James guessed was closest. He knew he was probably miles out; the highway looked exactly the same as far as the eye could see. But somehow James didn't think that Pyramid Head would have too much trouble picking up their location. He knew exactly where they were and he would pick his moment when he and he alone was ready. James looked at Alex who was staring intently into the fire. They hadn't spoken to each other much since they'd left the motel. James was feeling pretty defeated and he knew Alex must be feeling the same. Neither of them wanted to go back to Silent Hill. They wanted to stay in the land of the living where the sun shone and the breeze was soft. Each step they both took when they were trawling along the highway seemed to get heavier and heavier, the threat of death and Pyramid Head moving ever closer.

"Why were you called to Silent Hill?" asked Alex, startling James out of his thoughts. Alex had turned his attention from the fire to James, waiting patiently for an answer. Now it was James's turn to avert his eyes and gaze at the flames.

"We're both being called back for a reason," continued Alex. "A reason that we're both unsure of right now, but we both know why we were called there the first time. You know why I first went to that town... I just think that if we're going back there, all we're really going to have is each other whether we like it or not. I can't go into this with a guy I know jack shit about, I may have to trust you with my life at some point."

James remained silent and unresponsive. He wasn't ready to open up about what he'd done in the past. If Alex knew what had happened, what he'd done to Mary, he wouldn't trust him at all. He'd be the last person he'd trust his life with and he'd run a mile. James couldn't risk that, he had to get Alex back to Silent Hill. Hell, James couldn't even trust _himself_! What with all of the thoughts he'd been having lately, the whispers in his head that made him almost kill Officer Stanton. He didn't know who he was or what he was becoming and it frightened him. He'd never been more scared in his life.

"My brother was the greatest kid you'd ever meet," Alex said so quietly that James almost didn't hear him. He was looking into the fire again, a soft orange glow cast on his face and the shadows deepening his features. He was staring into the flames but James thought that he looked like he was staring at something else entirely, like a distant memory of a fading past. Alex smiled a little and went on. "He used to think that I could do anything, he used to call me Superman. Whenever he'd get scared in the middle of the night, he'd climb up into my bed and we'd fall asleep together in the dark. If he was getting bullied in school I'd teach him how to fight back and he'd be the happiest kid alive when he'd defeated them all, despite breaking his nose in the process. I knew my parents loved him more than me; he was the apple of their eye. It would always be Josh that my father would take hunting, or to the movies, or fishing... I don't remember one hug or one kiss from him; I stopped trying after Josh was born. But Josh, Joshua always loved me. I was his big brother and when he was born, I held him in my arms and promised that as long as I lived, as his big brother, I would always protect him no matter what..."

James stared at Alex who was still looking into the fire, the flames reflecting in his eyes that were full of pain and sadness. He knew Alex wanted and needed to continue, so he waited patiently. After a few minutes, Alex continued.

"When I saw him in Silent Hill, before I could remember what had happened, I kept chasing him. I was worried about him, running around town all by himself... but every time I'd get close to him, he'd always run away. It was like chasing a ghost. When I finally remembered the truth and held my brother's... body in my arms I thought I'd put everything to rest. That's why I was allowed to leave, right? So why am I being called back there? Maybe it's because I failed to keep my promise to Josh, I couldn't protect him. But I know that, I realise the truth and I'll have to live with it for the rest of my life. So that can't be the reason. What does that town want?"

Alex looked up at James expecting an answer but James couldn't give him one. He knew more about the situation than he was letting on, he knew that he was deceiving Alex slightly. He could tell him about the things that Pyramid Head frequently whispered to him, about the blood that was running through his body which wasn't entirely his, but what good would that do? It would only scare Shepherd even further and he'd never get him back to that town. He decided to go with the only answer that he felt was safe, if it could even be called an answer.

"I don't know Alex," replied James, without much conviction at all.

"You know, for a guy who's been sent from Silent Hill to find _me_, you don't know an awful lot do you?" There was an accusatory tone to Alex's voice. "How do I know I can even trust you? How do I know that you only want the best for those kids? You haven't told me anything about yourself besides from your name and you expect me to just follow you blindly into the fog without so much as a second thought?" Alex was looking at James suspiciously and James could almost hear the cogs in his mind turning and assessing the situation.

"Alex, everything I've told you so far has been the truth." James felt bad for deceiving the guy but it was the only way. "I've told you that I've been sent to find you by... by the red demon and he has taken two kids! Isn't that enough?"

Alex stood up suddenly, the reflection of the camp fire flames burning in his eyes. "I know he's taken two kids Sunderland! One of those kids happens to be my friend's son! I know what it must be doing to him; it's killing him inside not knowing where his son is. I was there when he and his wife were told of William's disappearance; I had to look them in the eyes okay? So don't ask me if it's enough!"

James remained seated on the floor, looking up at Alex apprehensively. He needed to calm him down or he was never going to get him to cooperate.

"Alex I'm sorry but... just trust me. I promise I'll tell you everything but I can't right now. Not at this moment in time, but I promise I will."

"Not good enough. I know what's at stake here; I know there are kid's lives to think about. But without me, you've got nothing."

James felt panic flare up inside of him. He knew what was coming next and he didn't like it one bit. All he could do was stare up at Shepherd and wait for the words he knew he was going to say.

"If I go into this with a person I know nothing about, I won't last long out there. You could stab me in the back at anytime. And if that happens, I'll be just as useless to those kids as I will be if I don't go. You either start explaining _properly_, or you're on your own. And I have a feeling Pyramid Head won't be too happy about that."

Alex looked down at James who could only stare back open mouthed. James knew this was coming but he didn't know what to say. He was frantically trying to think of a way to make him come back to Silent Hill willingly without telling him the whole truth. Shepherd would never trust him if he knew all of the details and James wouldn't blame him. It was better for all involved if the truth was omitted, at least just for a little while.

After a short silence Alex made a decision. "Say Hi to Pyramid Head for me," he stated bitterly. He then turned on his heel and began walking down the highway in the direction they had come.

James leapt to his feet and started after Alex. He couldn't lose him now! Not after all of the shit he'd been through just to get him here in the first place. He'd almost_ killed_ somebody for Christ sakes! He was so close to getting him to Silent Hill and he was dammed if he was going to let him just disappear down the highway. The main driving force behind all of it though was fear. Fear of Pyramid Head and what he would do to James if he let Alex just slip through his fingers. He didn't even want to think about it.

"Alex wait! Just think about this for a second would you?" James caught up with Alex and grabbed his arm pulling him back. Alex turned around, visibly furious and pushed James in the chest, hard. James stumbled back a few steps, the breath knocked out of him. Alex glared at James and turned around, storming off down the highway once more. James tried a different approach this time and ran ahead of Alex, standing in front of him and blocking his path.

Alex stopped and stared at James. "Get out of my way. You and Silent Hill can go fuck yourselves." He barged past James, knocking into him as he did so. James was beginning to feel a little frustrated now. He understood that Shepherd was pissed at him and angry at not knowing the truth but he had no idea of the pressure James was under. He didn't know the half of it!

James spun around and grabbed Alex by the shoulder and less than a second later felt a blinding pain in his nose when Alex turned around and punched him head on. James's head felt fuzzy and he lost his balance, landing on his back on the ground with a heavy thud. He looked up at the stars which were swimming before him like millions of ice crystals floating in a sea of darkness. He felt blood running from his nose on to his cheek. He was vaguely aware of Shepherd standing over him and before he could stop himself, his leg shot out kicking Alex hard in the ankles and sweeping him off his feet, causing him to hit the ground hard.

Alex let out a cry of pain and surprise, "Son of a bitch!" He tried to sit up and get back on to his feet but James was quicker and was on him in an instant. He sat on Alex's stomach, straddling him and preventing him from moving. Alex tried to push him off but James grabbed both of his arms and pinned them to the ground either side of his head.

"You sneaky bastard!" cried Alex furiously. "I've already told you, I'm not going back there! Now get off me!"

James looked down at Alex. He didn't even know what prompted him to trip him up in the first place. It was as if his leg had a mind of its own. He didn't even know what had happened until it happened. The blood from James's nose dripped down on to Alex's face causing him to flinch. That's when the voices began and he felt a dark cloud begin to spread through his mind.

_Tell him the truth my Creator... tell him how you loved suffocating the life out of your beloved wife Mary._

James squeezed his eyes shut, trying to block out the voice but it was no use. It only became louder and stronger.

_You will bring Alex back James... you will find a way to bring him back to me... or you will pay the price._

James felt the darkness begin to overcome him. He tried with all of his strength to resist it, to fight it but the urge was almost overwhelming. His grip tightened on Alex's wrists, eliciting a hiss of pain from his captive. The last thread of rational thought he had left told him to snap out of it, Shepherd would see that there was something seriously wrong and would never go back to Silent Hill with him. But that last thread of thought was cut almost instantly when the last bit of darkness enveloped him.

James bought his face down to Alex's, their noses merely inches apart. Fury still danced in Shepherd's eyes but there was a hint of uncertainty there too. James smiled and began to speak, his mouth working of its own accord. To his own ears his voice sounded like his own, but it was very steady, almost too steady.

"You want to know the truth about me?" asked James, his voice low and even. Alex only stared back, the uncertainty growing in his eyes. James continued, "Fine. The reason I was called to Silent Hill in the first place was because I had a very dark secret... a very dark past. I was called to that town because I needed to confront my past and pay for my sins, much like you. I was chasing a ghost, being stalked at every turn. Do you want to know what I did Alex... do you?"

Alex just stared into James's eyes, wanting to avert his gaze but not being able to. James lowered his mouth to Alex's ear, his breath tickling his skin. He spoke very quietly; barely a whisper but Alex heard every word, "... I killed my wife."

Alex's eyes widened and he could only stare at James, unblinking, unmoving. James looked down at Alex and continued, "We all have our sins Alex, you should know that by now."

"I'm not a murderer though!" cried Alex, struggling to push James off him. "You expect me to trust you now, after what you've just told me?"

James tightened his grip on Alex's wrists at an almost bruising force. He could hear the faint whispers in his head, could feel the darkness growing, and he could feel himself liking it. "You're not a murderer Alex, but you took your brother out on to that lake in the middle of the night. Maybe you didn't have a clear intention on what was going to happen, but you did it all the same. And Joshua paid the price."

Alex began his struggle with renewed fury but James held him down effortlessly. It was if he had some sort of abnormal strength, he could almost feel it inside of himself.

"I didn't kill my brother! He fell into that lake! I know I'm responsible for what happened, I paid the price last time God damn it! I may have been responsible for my brother's death but I didn't kill him in cold blood, I'm nothing like you!"

James smiled a cold smile and bought his face closer to Alex's. "You may not have killed him in cold blood but you caused his death. It never would have happened if you hadn't taken him out on to that lake. I know what I am... I know what I did... and I've been paying for it ever since. Both of us have failed the people we were supposed to have loved the most. We're more alike than you think."

Somewhere in the back of James's mind, his thoughts began to clear and he had a sudden overwhelming urge to get rid of this darkness. He squeezed his eyes shut and tried to focus. He couldn't think straight and his thoughts were conflicting, his mind was hazy. It was as if he was in a horrible nightmare and no matter how much he tried he couldn't wake up.

_Get out of my head! _He thought. _Shepherd will know that something is wrong... I don't want you in my head. Can't... can't think straight! _

The cloud that was fogging James's mind began to clear and his grip softened on Alex's wrists. His eyes became unclouded and the green shone through once more. He felt weaker somehow, as if his mind and body had been drained of energy. He got up off of Alex and stood up, his legs trembling. Alex got up with a lot more speed, fuelled by anger and stood facing James, breathing heavily.

"Alex... I-I need you to come back to Silent Hill," James managed to say in a shaky voice. "Think what you will of me, I don't expect you to trust me after what I've just told you. But I'm... I'm trying to do something right for once, I _need_ to do this... and I think you do too. There are two kids who need us, who haven't done anything wrong. So what do you say? Are you in?"

Alex stared at James for what seemed like hours and without saying a word, he walked past James and sat down again by the campfire, staring into the flickering flames. James knew that he shouldn't say anything else; he knew that Shepherd needed time to think. So he walked over to the campfire and sat down. He stared into the fire too, the flames almost hypnotic.

* * *

Later that night, after the campfire had burned out, Alex was laying down on his back and staring up at the stars. He looked over at James who was on the other side of the remains of the fire, asleep in the foetal position. His brow was furrowed and he would often cry out in his sleep, as if troubled by relentless bad dreams. They had decided to call it a night around three hours ago and all was silent on the deserted highway. A heavy atmosphere still hung in the air, an impending sense of something coming was ever present and Alex had a constant feeling of unease in his gut.

James had fallen asleep almost instantly but Alex hadn't been nearly as successful. Both he and James knew that as soon as they fell asleep and their mind fell into an unconscious state, the gate to Silent Hill would be opened and when they awoke they would find themselves back in the place they had been trying to escape for a long time. That was the main reason Alex couldn't get to sleep, no matter how much he tried. After everything he had been through he was exhausted but he couldn't shut his mind off. He was dreading waking up and seeing nothing but fog, dreading hearing the cries of the tormented and constantly looking over his shoulder. But most of all, he was dreading seeing the red demon who he knew was coming for him. His mind took him back to when he last saw the one who had been stalking him the last time he was in Silent Hill. When Alex was standing in front of his father and watched as Pyramid Head came up behind him and sliced him in two with that great knife of his. He watched his father die right in front of him, at the hands of that monster.

He was terrified of going back there because he didn't want to come face to face with Pyramid Head and made a vow to himself to avoid that confrontation at all costs. He just wanted to find those kids and get the hell out of there. Another reason why he couldn't get to sleep was because of Sunderland's confession. How the hell was he supposed to sleep when there was a murderer sleeping only a few feet away from him? _How do I know he's not going to knife me to death as soon as my eyes are closed? _He thought. But he knew deep down that wasn't going to happen. Sunderland wouldn't have gone through all of this trouble to find him only to kill him at the final hurdle. It would be when they were actually in Silent Hill that he would have to watch his back and keep an eye on him.

He thought back to when James had him pinned down and had told him about murdering his wife. Alex thought there was something not quite right about James in those few minutes. He looked the same but something about him had changed slightly. He became more aggressive but not in a violent way... more like a cold and calculated way. Almost that there was something bubbling away under the surface and if unleashed, would be very dangerous. It was as if he was a snake that was being threatened and ready to strike, and if pushed too far, would bite you and bite you hard. Alex knew there was more to Sunderland than met the eye and he knew that he would have to be very careful if he wanted to have any chance of surviving this.

Alex turned over on his side, hoping that a change of position might help him get to sleep. The dirt was rough beneath him and a cockroach scurried past his head, just inches away from his nose. He sat up sharply and swatted at it with his hand. Ever since Silent Hill he'd had a terrible fear of cockroaches.

"This is hopeless," muttered Alex. "Where's a sleeping pill when you need one?"

Alex was about to lie back down again but stopped when he heard a soft cracking noise. He sat still and listened, but the silence only stretched on. After a few seconds he heard it again, only louder this time. He snapped his head towards the trees behind him. Maybe it was just an animal stepping on some twigs? He looked over at James who was still asleep. They only had one gun between them and James was the one who had it. He also had the only flash light they had between them in his jacket pocket. Alex stood up and began to make his way over to James to retrieve it. All of a sudden the lack of light made him very uncomfortable.

Before he reached James he heard the cracking sound again, only this time it was very loud and was coming from the highway. Alex whirled around and despite the darkness he could see what was causing the noise. A great crack was appearing in the road a few feet ahead, starting from one side of the road and continuing to the other. At first Alex thought it might be an earthquake but the ground wasn't shaking, nothing was being disturbed apart from the great crack that was slowly making its way across the highway. The noise rose to an almost ear splitting level and Alex winced. He jumped with a start when a light flashed on behind him. James had woken up and was now pointing the flash light at the highway.

"It's happening. The door is being opened," James whispered.

Now Alex wished he had fallen asleep. His heart began to beat faster as the crack stopped and the ground began to part where the road had split, creating a huge opening in the ground. He felt his stomach drop when fog began to rise from the crevice, seeping out and crawling over the concrete. He half expected dozens of hellish creatures to claw their way out and drag him down into the dark hole but he knew that wasn't going to happen. The door was open, now it was up to him and James to do the rest.

James began to walk towards the parting in the road and Alex followed close behind. The fog gathered around his feet and he felt as if they weighed twice as much. His stomach lurched with every step he took. Finally they both reached the edge of the opening, and both stared down into the bottomless depths. James shone his flashlight downwards but it didn't help much. The fog was so thick and the darkness so black that not even a helicopter spotlight would reveal what was down there. James clicked off the flash light and put it back in his pocket. He felt for the gun in his waist band just to make sure that it was still securely there. He looked at Alex, his eyes filled with dread.

"You know what we have to do?" he said ominously.

"Yeah... I don't like this one bit. Who knows what will be waiting for us at the bottom of this thing, who even knows if we'll make it to the bottom?"

"He's opened the door for us now. Somehow, I think he'll make sure that we get there unharmed."

Alex felt sick. He was just expected to take a leap of faith, straight down into hell. He just wanted to get it over with, but his legs wouldn't move.

"We'll both jump at the same time," said James, sensing Alex's hesitation. He grabbed hold of Alex's jacket by the shoulder. "Hold on to me."

Alex did the same, grabbing hold of James's jacket. "Just close your eyes on the way down," said James. "We'll go on three... one..."

Alex tightened his grip on James's jacket, his breathing became shallow.

"Two..."

His pulse quickened and his heartbeat raced. Sweat trickled down his temples.

"Three!"

He gritted his teeth and stared down into the darkness. He took a deep breath, his feet left the ground, as did James's and they jumped. In the blink of an eye they were plummeting down, down the through the fog and the darkness. Alex squeezed his eyes shut and prayed it would be over quickly. He regretted not taking one last look at the stars before he jumped, as he didn't believe that he would be seeing them again anytime soon.

_Fog and darkness, _he thought bleakly. _Fog and darkness..._


	9. Chapter 9

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HouseJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, violence, sexual themes, slight non-con  
Pairing: Pyramid Head/Alex  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: Hey everyone, so sorry I've taken so long with this chapter. The last few weeks in university were really busy and then I came down with tonsillitis which put me out of action for a few weeks. But I'm back with a super long chapter and some Pyramid Head goodness! Again I thank you all for your continued support, I appreciate every read and review I get from you all, so a big thank you and I hope this chapter was worth the wait.

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_Child, you must obey your parents; do everything they say.  
Little ones who do otherwise, he tortures in the flames._

James awoke groggily to the sight of nothing but grey swimming before his eyes and knew immediately that he was back in Silent Hill. His heart sank and he felt an overwhelming wave of nausea sweep over him. He knew what was expected, he knew that he would end up back that town and he thought he'd prepared himself for it. But James knew that no amount of preparing could ever shield him from his worst nightmare. It was always there in the back of his mind, lingering like an ever present shadow. A tiny part of him hoped that when he and Shepherd had made that leap down into the dark, that they wouldn't make it at all. How easy would it have been for it to be all over when they hit the bottom? This whole nightmare would have been over in the blink of an eye if the leap had done to him what he'd been afraid to do for so long. He knew fate would not be that kind however; of course they were going to make it. Well, he was almost certain he had made it. What about Alex?

James gingerly sat up, adamant that he must have broken something in a fall like that. But he checked himself over and he was fine. No broken bones, not even a scratch. He stood up and took in his surroundings. The fog was thick but it wasn't so thick that he couldn't see a thing; he could see a few feet in front of him in every direction. He turned on his flashlight which improved his visibility even more and he began to walk in search of Shepherd.

"Alex? Alex, can you hear me?" James called. He didn't want to be too loud. His old survival instincts were kicking in once more and he was reverting back to the old James Sunderland who dwelled in Silent Hill, tormented by the memories of his haunted past. Even having the flashlight on was making him feel uncomfortable, the light attracted the beasts. Even his radio couldn't fully comfort him. He was so intent in looking out in front of him into the fog, wary of a burst of acid that would melt his skin or a sharp set of teeth ready to rip his throat out, that he wasn't paying attention to his footing. He didn't see the huge drop only a few feet away from him. One step, two step, three step, four... and on the fifth step, his foot touched only air. It was like it was happening in slow motion. James tried to jerk his body backwards to the safety of solid ground but he teetered forward and down where the fog was thicker than ever, so thick that he couldn't see what he was falling into. James cried out, his back foot leaving the concrete also. He waved his arms, he lurched forward, he was going to die. But something stopped him in mid air and dragged him back to safety. He landed on the floor, the body of whoever had saved him trapped underneath.

"Jesus Sunderland, I can't breathe!"

It was Alex. Alex was the one who had saved him. James rolled off him and helped him up. They were both breathing heavily and James was shaking. He thought he was done for... and it had terrified him. Maybe he didn't want to die as much as he thought he did. He looked at Alex who didn't seem to have a mark or a scratch on him either.

"Well, you're welcome," said Alex, dusting himself off.

James caught his breath and steadied himself. "I'm sorry Alex; it was just such a shock. Fuck, I thought I was a dead man... Thank-you."

"Well I'm sure you'll get the opportunity to return the favour soon enough. Looks like we made it then," replied Alex who looked more depressed than James did. "It seems that we're on the roof of some building," continued Alex. "There are two small buildings back there, one of them is the stairwell, the door is unlocked, and the other seems to be a control room of some sort."

They both made their way in the direction that Alex had stated and the two buildings came into view. James stopped suddenly as it all came flooding back. The stairwell, the control room... and the chain link fence that was no longer there anymore because James had taken it with him when he fell. Alex turned around to face James.

"I know where we are," James whispered. Alex looked at him curiously. "We're at Brookhaven Hospital. I – I've been here before."

It began to play like a movie in James's head. A starless, pitch black night sky. Hearing the heavy footsteps behind him, the scraping of the great knife. Turning around, his flashlight illuminating the terrifying sight before him, the beam catching the blades surface making it shine like the sun. Then the mighty blow, his back hitting the chain link fence, the fence giving in and falling, James falling with it. Then nothing but a blinding pain, and then only darkness.

James instinctively looked over his shoulder, half expecting his tormentor to be standing behind him and for the incident to happen all over again. But there was only an endless fog.

"James. Do you still have the gun?" Alex asked. James checked the back of his waistband and the gun was still securely there.

"Yeah," replied James pulling it out and checking the chamber. His face fell.

"How many?" asked Alex, a hint of dread in his voice.

"Four." James let out a sigh of frustration. There was no way they were going to get far with four measly bullets. The place was bound to be crawling with monsters and God knows what else. And they couldn't exactly share the gun; James was going to have to look after himself _and_ Alex and that was the last thing he wanted the responsibility of. The last time he was here, the person he was supposed to be looking after fell victim to Pyramid Head. An image of Maria flashed through his mind and he willed it away as quickly as it came. He flinched violently when Alex kicked the door in of what James remembered was the elevator control room. Alex went inside.

"Christ Alex, warn me the next time you want to scare the shit out of me. What are you doing?" asked James standing in the doorway.

"I'm looking for something I can use as a weapon. You've got the only gun we have and I'll be damned if I'm going to go into that hospital with only my fists for defence." Alex kept looking until eventually he found something. "This will have to do."

He had found a rusty metal pipe wedged behind one of the control desks. James looked at the pipe and then at his almost empty gun. He was good with a gun, rarely missed a shot but four bullets didn't exactly inspire confidence. It was going to take a miracle for them to get out of this hospital alive.

"Listen James, you have the only flashlight and the only radio so we're going to have to stick together. If we get separated, I'm going to be blind in there. You know this side of town better than me, where do we go if – when we get out of here?"

"We'll go to the place where I've been staying, Woodside Apartments. It's not that far from here and I've got all of my weapons in there. Everything we'll need to... to go and get those kids."

"Right. You said you've been here before, can you remember the way out?"

"I don't know. I can try... it's been a while since I've been here. All we need to do is get to the ground floor, out the front doors and straight to my place."

"Simple," said Alex who had gone rather pale. "You ready?" he asked, his hand on the doorknob to the stairwell.

James nodded even though he wasn't. He didn't want to do this. After being in the real world he hated this place more than ever. He didn't think that would be possible but he did. Now he was back to looking over his shoulder and listening to the sounds of Hell echoing all around him. Hell, he didn't even feel good about finally getting Shepherd here. Sure, that's what he'd been trying to do for so long; he'd been through so much shit to get him back. But Pyramid Head wasn't finished with James. He was going to meet his maker whether he'd brought Alex back or not. They were both up to their necks in shit. But there was nothing he could do about it, he was here and he'd have to deal with it. He needed to focus, to be on high alert if he wanted to make it out in one piece. He nodded again and held his gun out in front of him, his hands steady.

"Alex," said James, just as he was about to open the door. "Remember, I've only got four bullets left. So you get as many as you can with that pipe okay?"

Alex nodded and slowly turned the doorknob, the hinges making a painful creaking sound that ripped through the silence that hung in the air, making both men wince. Alex took a deep breath and yanked the door open, quickly stepping back with his pipe raised in the air. James aimed his gun into the darkness but nothing came out to attack them, no static hissed from his radio. The way was clear for now. They both entered the stairwell cautiously, the door closing behind them, shutting out the fog and bringing in the darkness.

* * *

The door to the third and first floor were locked so Alex and James had to go with the second floor and try to make their way down from there. Alex knew it wouldn't be that easy. Silent Hill would never just let you take the short way and walk out the front door, oh no. It would make you go the long way round and encounter a couple of hundred monsters before you even got close to the front door, and even then it might be locked. He just wanted to get out and get it over with. The situation was dire enough as it was. He just wanted to get back to Oakley and be left alone. Or did he? Who could he even trust in that town? After the horrific incident with Dr Fox, he wasn't sure that he even wanted to go back there at all.

Alex slowly opened the door to the second floor of the hospital, James close behind him holding his gun steady. He seemed to have been a little shaken up there on the roof Alex had noticed, but he seemed to be pulling himself together now and had focussed himself. Alex knew it was hard for him, but he was having just as much as a hard time adjusting to this as James. They didn't have time to wallow in self pity, they had a job to do and Alex just wanted to get through it as quickly as possible.

They stepped out into the corridor as quietly as they could, James's flashlight guiding the way in through the darkness. A foul stench of blood and death hung in the air. The walls were crumbling and the floors were cracking. Hospital gurneys, broken glass, rubble and blood stains littered the corridors and light fixtures hung uselessly from the ceiling. It looked like a scene out of a horror movie, only this time it was very real. Alex shuddered, he hated hospitals.

"Which way?" whispered Alex to James.

"Left, I think."

They turned left down the corridor being careful not to trip on a loose floor tile or an unseen piece of brick work. Alex held his pipe steady, ready to swing at anything that moved. He would have felt so much more comfortable with a gun in his hand but he guessed the pipe was better than nothing. They moved slowly, their footsteps barely making a sound, and that's when they heard it.

_*Hisssssss*_

They both stopped sharply. Alex stayed facing forward, his pipe raised while James spun around to look behind them, aiming his gun. This left Alex in the dark and he squinted into the blackness, afraid that any second he was going to be slashed with a rusty scalpel.

_*HIIIISSSSSSSSSSS*_

The static was getting louder. Whatever it was, it was getting closer.

"You got anything back there?" asked Alex.

"No," replied James.

"Well shine the light back over here; I can't see a damn-"

Alex's response was cut short when James shined his flashlight in front of them and he came face to face with a Nurse creature, with two others close behind. The first Nurse creature Alex had encountered since the last time he was in Silent Hill and he could have done without it. They were just the same as they had been in his nightmares. They still wore the blood and dirt stained white nurse's uniforms, their top buttons open exposing their cleavage. Bloody bandages covered their faces and they walked in a twitching, mechanical way that made Alex shiver.

The Nurse swung with her scalpel but Alex swung quicker and hit the monster with a lighting fast and mighty blow to the side of the head, sending a fountain of blood spraying on to the wall. The Nurse went down fast, twitching and writhing in pain on the floor. James stepped beside Alex and aimed his pistol at one of the two remaining Nurses who were advancing fast.

"You take the one on the right, I'll get the left one," cried Alex.

James nodded and widened his stance. He held the gun steady and squeezed off one shot, hitting the Nurse point blank in the forehead sending her brains scattering in every direction. She hit the floor instantly. Alex made his way over to the last Nurse creature; this one was wielding a rusty pipe, just like his. She swung violently in his direction but because Alex didn't have a flashlight and the light wasn't as strong because he wasn't as close to James, Alex avoided the blow easily. She swung again in desperation and Alex swiftly stepped to the side and brought his pipe down hard on the top of her skull which produced a sickening cracking sound. The Nurse creature died, as did the static on the radio. Alex turned around to face James.

"Three bullets left," James said. "Come on, the door at the end of this corridor should be open if I remember correctly."

They were about to make a move when they heard a low groaning sound. They both stood still and listened, the silence seeming to stretch on forever. After a few seconds they heard it again, this time louder and more agonised. It sent shivers up Alex's spine. It seemed so pained, so anguished. _What the hell is it? _It couldn't have been a monster; there was no static coming from the radio. Alex looked at James who pointed to a room on the right side of the corridor that was labelled 'M3'. Alex nodded and James made his way over to the door. He turned the doorknob and pushed the door inwards. Both Alex and James stepped into the room quickly, weapons at the ready. But they soon realised that they didn't need weapons as they stared at the horrific sight before them.

Lying down on a rusting and blood soaked gurney was a man in a mining suit, an Order member. Alex's mind was cast back to when he was captured by the Order. To when he was tied to a chair and Judge Holloway ran a drill into his thigh. He still had an ugly scar as a constant reminder. He remembered running that same drill through Holloway's eye, killing her, hearing her screams. It had slipped his mind that along with the monsters in this town, he'd have to watch out for Order members too. _How are these guys still around? _He thought. _I killed their leader God damn it! _

The man groaned in agony once more. Someone or something had stuck four huge iron spires through his torso, which protruded from his body and pointed upwards towards the ceiling. He was also missing a hand. Alex didn't think he'd ever seen so much blood; he was astonished that the man was still alive. He felt sick just looking at the poor bastard; he broke out in a cold sweat. He couldn't see the man's face due to his mining suit and he was almost grateful for it. Alex looked over at James who was just staring at the man, his hands were shaking.

"... me."

Alex and James both looked at each other. They had barely heard the man speak, but he did, just below a whisper.

"What? What did you say?" asked James, bringing his head closer to the dying man.

"K-Kill... me," said the man, clear that it was causing him terrible pain even to speak.

James looked at Alex sharply. Alex looked down at the Order member. Nobody should have to live in that amount of pain. He nodded at James who raised his gun with trembling hands. Alex watched as James took aim but stopped suddenly. He frowned and shook his head, as if he didn't know where he was. He took aim again but again, he stopped and lowered the gun. He brought his hands to his head and groaned.

"Stop it, get out of my head!" Alex heard James mumble.

_What the hell is wrong with him? _James continued to struggle; his eyes squeezed shut as if in pain. The man on the gurney groaned in agony. Alex stared at James. _He's not going to do it. _Alex stormed over to James and snatched the gun out of his hand. He took aim and shot the man right between the eyes, killing him instantly. This seemed to snap James out of it and he stared at Alex. Alex had had enough. James wasn't telling him everything. He'd said, "Get out of my head" and that didn't sound good at all. It made James sound like a fucking nut case.

"What the fuck was that about Sunderland?" demanded Alex. "You haven't been telling me the whole truth have you? You looked like you were talking to some kind of voices in your head or something! Do you realise how nervous that makes me in the situation we're in? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Before Alex could get his answer, he heard something that made his blood run cold.

_*Thud, scrape, thud, scrape, thud, scrape*_

It was him! No, no, no! This couldn't happen, not now! They didn't have any decent weapons and only had two bullets left, they didn't stand a chance! He looked at James who looked deathly pale.

"We have to get back to my apartment and fast!" said James. "There's no point in trying to fight him, all we can do is run. We need to get out of here now!"

Alex decided that he would just have to trust James and get the truth out of him later. He gave the gun back to him.

"Pull the trigger this time James. Two bullets left. Let's go. When I open that door, we run like hell and stick together!" said Alex. He was sweating profusely.

There was a soft static coming from the radio meaning that Pyramid Head couldn't be that close, but he was coming. Alex cautiously opened the door expecting the bastard's great knife to chop his head off at any second, but the corridor was deathly quiet. It was _too_ quiet and Alex didn't like it.

"Okay, on three, we run for it," said Alex. James nodded.

_*Thud, scrape, thud, scrape, thud, scrape*_

"Three!" shouted Alex and they both turned right and bolted down the corridor. They jumped over rubble and manoeuvred around gurneys. Alex prayed that neither one of them would trip up. He was terrified, he didn't know whether the creature was in front of them or behind them, or was going to burst out of the many rooms they were flying past at any second.

"There are two doors at the end of the corridor," James cried breathlessly. "One is straight ahead; the other is on the left. Take the left one!"

They blundered down the corridor and came to the end. James fumbled with the lock on the left door whilst Alex skidded into the double doors in front of him and bashed his shoulder. The door was indeed locked, James had remembered correctly. The static on the radio got louder. James got the door open.

"Come on!" he shouted.

Alex was about to follow James when the doors he'd bashed into just moments before flew inwards revealing Pyramid Head, a terrifying sight to behold. Alex's blood ran cold as the monster took a step forward.

"Run!" shouted Alex, pushing James through the door and following close behind. But he wasn't quick enough and felt a hand on the back of his right ankle pulling him backwards, causing him to drop the pipe. He fell to the floor hard and turned his head just in time so that he didn't fall chin first, or else he would have bitten off his tongue. The right side of his face hit a sharp piece of loose tile that was sticking out of the floor, cutting a deep gash into his cheekbone making it bleed. He winced in pain and struggled to break free of the monsters grip.

James turned around and fired off one shot at the monster but it didn't do anything except spur the beast on. Alex realised he was being dragged off into the room from which Pyramid Head had came and he began to panic. He remembered his last encounter with the monster; he couldn't be alone with him! He couldn't let this bastard take him away. He began to claw desperately at the floor but there was nothing to grab on to. James lunged forward and grabbed both of Alex's hands, desperately trying to pull him free but he couldn't match the strength of Pyramid Head.

Alex was in the room now but James hadn't given up. He was still pulling with all of his might. That's when a long black tongue snaked out from beneath that triangular helmet and wound itself around James's neck, lifting him off his feet and forcing him to let go of Alex. Then the beast spoke, sending an icy chill up Alex's spine.

"_You brought him home my Creator... I will be seeing you very, very soon."_

He then threw James through the doorway sending him flying half way down the corridor. Alex saw James slowly getting up before the doors slammed shut and the lock was clicked in place. He didn't have a flashlight but the red glow emanating from Pyramid Head provided just enough light to see. The beast let go of his ankle and Alex sprung up and bolted to the back of the room, breathing heavily. He guessed he must have been in some sort of day room. There was furniture everywhere but it was all covered in white sheets. Alex found a door at the back of the room but wasn't surprised to find it was locked. He looked back and Pyramid Head was slowly making his way towards him. He turned his attention back to the door and pulled at it frantically, trying to force it open.

"Fuck!" Alex cried when it wouldn't budge. Pyramid Head was almost upon him now and Alex tried to run to the other side of the room. He felt a hand grab the back of his jacket but he struggled out of it, leaving the monster with his coat, and ran. He knew he couldn't keep this up forever. He was like a caged mouse. He looked around the room desperately for anything that he could use as a weapon but there was nothing.

"_You can't escape me Alex... not this time."_

"You – you stay the hell away from me!" said Alex, his voice shaking with fear.

He heard the beast give a soft chuckle and then he raised his great knife. Alex's eyes widened in fear as the blade was thrust towards his neck. He squeezed his eyes shut, but opened them again when the blinding pain never came. The tip of the blade had stopped just inches from his neck, and despite the thing looking like it weighed a ton, it didn't even tremble in Pyramid Head's hands. The monster withdrew the knife and raised it again. This time with one mighty thrust, he stuck it into the floor just inches away from Alex's left foot, sending bits of white tile flying everywhere. Then, before Alex knew it, Pyramid Head was just inches away from him, trapping him against the wall.

Alex felt sick. How were he and James supposed to even have a chance of finding those kids against this beast? They were stupid to come back in the first place, doomed from the start! He winced when the monster brought a gloved hand up to his chin and turned his head to the left, admiring the gash on his cheekbone which was now bleeding quite heavily.

"_Such a pretty mark... I could give you many more Alex... beautiful scars."_

Pyramid Head brought his other hand up to the wound and dipped his finger in the blood. Alex's breath quickened and he tried to force himself to stay calm. Pyramid head then let go of Alex's chin and lifted up his t-shirt, exposing his muscled stomach. Alex began to shake, he wished the bastard would beat the shit out of him or cut him up, anything was preferable to this! The creature then brought his bloody finger to Alex's stomach and began to write a word. By the feel of it, the blood stained word was, _MINE. _Alex felt sick at the thought. He didn't have a fucking clue how he was going to get out of this.

When he had finished, Pyramid Head began to run his hands over Alex's chest and up and down his torso, being terrifyingly gentle. Alex's mouth went dry as the long black tongue came out once more and began to lick at the wound on his cheekbone.

"Please... just – just stop," said Alex hoarsely.

The tongue withdrew but the hands didn't, they continued their exploration of Alex's body and Alex bit back a cry of terror when one hand began to head downwards. The other hand came to rest in Alex's hair and pulled his head back, exposing his neck. The other hand continued on down, painfully slowly.

"_You must come with me Alex... be with me in the darkness... I can make you scream and beg... and bleed that beautiful blood of yours."_

"Just... just fucking stop! Where are the – the kids?"

The hand found its way under the waist band of Alex's trousers and found what it wanted, it began to caress gently.

"Shit!" cried Alex. He tried to struggle free but the hand in his hair only tightened making his scalp sting with pain. "Aaahh! Look... I – I'll do whatever... you want, just leave me... alone!"

"_You're already doing what I want Alex."_

The hand continued its assault and Alex began to tremble violently. He was getting groped by this bastard and there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop it. It was only a matter of time before he took it to the next step. All of a sudden there was a deafening gunshot and the hand withdrew. Pyramid Head spun around and the door that Alex had previously tried to unlock was now open, and James was standing in the doorway. Pyramid Head began to move towards James and James began to shoot. Alex saw his opportunity and took it. He bolted past the monster and through the doorway to James. They were in a small room and there was another door at the back.

"It's open, go!" cried James firing off a few more rounds and then following close behind. Alex heard Pyramid Head let out a cry of frustration and this made him run even faster.

"Take a left and it's the second door on the right!" shouted James. Alex flew down the corridor, hoping that they wouldn't run into any Nurses. He flung the door open and they were in the stairwell. They headed down, their footsteps thudding on the crumbling steps.

"Where did you get the bullets?" cried Alex.

"I found them in the Nurses station. Almost got my throat slashed trying to get them."

Alex opened the door that led to the first floor and noticed that the lock had been shot off. Probably from that last bullet James had. He stepped out into the corridor and heard static from the radio.

"Take a left, then a right, then another left and we're out!" commanded James. He turned off his flashlight as they didn't have time to bother with the Nurses. They were still attracted to sound though and took a few swings at Alex and James but they were avoided easily enough. Alex sprinted down the corridor and took the last left. He burst through the double doors and brightness streamed in and stung his eyes. They had made it. There was no time to celebrate though, Pyramid Head could be anywhere.

"Back to the apartments, hurry!" shouted James, bolting down the fog filled streets leading the way.

Alex followed close behind, the sounds of monsters and beasts howling in the distance. It was as if the demons that stalked the streets were all awake and aware of their presence. All of them sniffing the air, smelling the fresh blood and running to find them, to hunt them.

Alex and James were home... the town had awakened.


	10. Chapter 10

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HouseJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: Well you should already expect it from me by now, but again, apologies for the delay. I've been having a think of what direction to take this next chapter in and I've finally decided so I hope you all enjoy it. As always, thank you all very much for every read and review you are kind enough to give me, it really motivates me to write more.

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_Beatings cleanse the soul, they say, and that is what he'll do.  
If you don't control your anger then you'll feel his anger too._

As James and Alex sprinted east on Rendell Street, wisps of fog gathered at their ankles and caressed their clothes as if to stop them from running and engulf them the mist, never to find their way out. James knew that they shouldn't be running blindly through the streets like this. Their footsteps echoed off the pavement and seemed to stretch on forever, dangerously close to alerting the beasts of their presence. They could barely see a few feet in front of themselves and running this fast without knowing what was lurking ahead was a disaster waiting to happen. But they still ran, they ran because the demon from hell was on their heels. The static from the radio had subsided for now but Pyramid Head had a habit of showing up in the most impossible of places. If they stood still for long, his blood stained gloves could appear from the mist at any moment and drag them both down into the darkest depths. Better to take a chance and run like hell than to be _taken_ to hell.

James made a sharp left onto Munson Street with Alex following close behind, Katz Street straight ahead and Woodside Apartments not far off. He still had a few bullets left but didn't feel like stopping to use them. He just wanted to get back to his room where he had a whole arsenal of weapons at his disposal. The fog was making this journey considerably more difficult but he'd navigated these streets a hundred times before and could make the journey with his eyes closed. That thought however was a terrifying one yet it was practically what he was doing.

"How much farther?" he heard Alex cry breathlessly behind him.

James could see the intersection up ahead. "It's the next right, we're almost there!"

They both turned right onto Katz Street, both out of breath and weak at the knees but they kept on going. Blue Creek Apartments flew past them in a blur and Woodside Apartments came into view. James thought he'd never be so happy to see the shabby, disintegrating building in his life. They were both making their way up to the main door when a sharp burst of static hissed from James's radio. Alex and James spun around, their back's to the door and James holding out the gun in front of him but there was nothing there, yet the static continued to hiss softly. The silence was so thick that it began to unsettle James and Alex too apparently.

"Let's get inside," said Alex nervously.

James turned around to get the door open when a dreadful pulsating, suckling sound filled the air. He knew immediately what it was, a Patient Demon. The tortured beasts, bound in strait jackets made from their own skin, twitching awkwardly on two legs and spraying acid from their stomachs. The cousin creatures of the Smog beasts, just as horrific, just as dangerous. The static began to increase in volume and James tried to open the door but it appeared that something was jamming it. It wouldn't budge. He looked back over his shoulder and could just make out at least six of the creatures in the distance, advancing slowly but surely up Harris Street. Alex turned to face him.

"Hurry up James, what the hell is wrong?" He tried to force the door himself but to no avail. "Shit! We need to get this thing open now or we're done for! Is there any other way in?" he asked, all the while casting nervous glances back over his shoulder.

"This is the only way. Take the gun, I'll get the door open," answered James, shoving the gun into Alex's hands. Alex pointed the gun in front of him, ready to blast anything that came close. The Patient Demons were not far off now.

James turned his attention back to the door and kicked it with all of his might. It groaned under the pressure but did not give way. He kicked it again, cursing when it wouldn't move. _Goddamn it! What a perfect moment to jam shut! Just my fucking luck! _He kicked it again violently and thought he felt something give way. He flinched when Alex fired off a shot next to him.

"Come on James, they're getting closer!" he shouted, letting off another shot.

James gave one last mighty kick and the doors bent inwards but still didn't open. He looked behind him and the creatures were terrifyingly close, just on the other side of the street. In ten seconds they would be on them and that would be the end of everything.

"I'm running out of ammo!" Alex shouted frantically.

James took a few steps back from the doors and ran at them at full speed. He winced in pain as he shoulder bashed them, throwing his full weight into the assault. The doors flew inward and James landed on the floor in the lobby. Alex followed close behind just as a Patient Demon let off a spray of acid. He slammed the doors shut and James could hear the hiss from outside where the deadly liquid was surely biting into the metal. Alex helped him up and they made their way up the stairs. Thankfully there were no Mannequin creatures to contend with in the darkened hallways and they made it to room 205 in one piece.

James cautiously stepped inside and was relieved to find his duffle bag full of weapons by the dressing table where he'd left it, untouched. He turned to face Alex who was looking at him intently, the gun still in his hand.

"You've got some explaining to do Sunderland. I want the truth and I want it now," he said in a voice which left no room for argument.

"Okay... Just let me have a look in the other rooms first okay? We won't be able to say anything if we're interrupted by a Mannequin will we?"

James took Alex's silence for a yes and began to move toward the bedroom. He had a look around and there were no monsters hiding under the bed or in the closet. He then moved across the living room and made his way to the bathroom.

"Do me a favour Alex," he said. "Put the gun down, you're making me nervous." Alex took a seat at the kitchen table and put the gun on top of it. It was still too close for James's liking but at least he'd let go of it.

James inspected the tiny space in the bathroom and it was empty, just as he thought it would be. He was about to go back out to face Alex when he caught sight of himself in the mirror and stopped suddenly. He stood in stunned silence for a few seconds and then placed his hands on the sink, leaning closer to his reflection, fearing to look but not being able to turn away. The closer he looked, the more scared he became... what the hell was happening to him? He remembered doing this very same thing when he'd first gotten out of Silent Hill and found the diner. He'd noticed tiny changes in his appearance but they weren't big enough to bother him, but this... this was something else entirely.

Where he'd noticed small flecks of black in his blonde hair in the diner, the black now seemed to be turning a silvery colour and the colour had spread rapidly. He ran a hand through his hair and there was definitely more silver than blonde. To anybody who didn't know him it would seem as if silver was his natural colour with the occasional fleck of blonde every now and then. Soon he knew that the blonde would be engulfed completely and his whole head of hair would change colour. He felt confused and frightened.

He brought a hand up to his face and felt his skin, which he'd noticed straight away had gone considerably paler, almost as white as snow itself. He noticed tiny blue veins beneath his skin stretching out over his temples and crawling up his neck. His lips had gone an even darker shade of maroon now, they almost looked black. But his eyes... his eyes were what scared him the most. Where they were once a healthy shade of green, they had darkened considerably, almost to the point where they were as black as midnight. He didn't recognise them at all, there was a darkness lurking behind those eyes, a darkness that was dangerous and frightening.

The change in his appearance unsettled him tremendously, he wondered if anything else had changed on his body. With trembling hands he lifted up his shirt and gazed down at his stomach, and yet again felt a stab of fear. Where he was once gaunt and skinny, his ribcage poking through his skin from lack of food, he now had a well defined six-pack. His skin was the same as that on his face, pale and veins visible beneath. He lowered his t-shirt and felt his arms, his fingers squeezing firm muscle that wasn't there before. He didn't need to look to know that his legs had probably bulked up too.

He placed his hands on the sink again to steady himself; a million thoughts were swimming round his head. What was he becoming? He didn't even recognise himself anymore, but there was an ugly familiarity about his appearance that made him feel sick. He cast his mind back to when he was hiding in the pantry in Alex's house, just before he'd almost killed Officer Stanton. When he'd heard the whisperings in his head, when the darkness began to creep in. He remembered what his hand had looked like on the door knob, it was pale and he could see the veins beneath his skin. He held his trembling hands up in front of his face. _Exactly how they look now. _What the hell had Pyramid Head done to him when he'd given him his blood? And how long had he looked like this? He knew who would be able to tell him.

He walked out of the bathroom with trembling legs and stared at Alex. He was still sitting at the table, the gun in his hand once more and a fresh box of bullets on the table where the gun had been moments before. He must have gotten them out of the duffle bag.

"Judging by the look on your face, I'm guessing you've seen your reflection," said Alex.

"How long have I looked like this Alex?" asked James in a trembling voice.

"Ever since the hospital," he answered. "I noticed that your appearance began to change right after I killed that Order member. Everything happened so fast after that, I didn't get a chance to bring it up. I need answers James, no more bullshit."

"We can talk without the gun Alex, I felt better when it was on the table and your finger wasn't on the trigger."

"Well I feel better when it's in my hand James. Until you start telling me everything, my finger stays on the trigger." Alex pulled up a chair and placed it opposite him. "Have a seat."

James knew he was going to have to come clean. The whole situation had gotten way out of control, he was a fool to think that he could just bring Shepherd back and Pyramid Head would just let him walk free. He had been played and his fear of the red demon had made him desperate to believe any possibility of escaping his fate. He sat down opposite Alex, his onyx eyes flitting back and forth between the gun and Alex's intense stare. He took a deep breath, he was already in deep shit, how much worse could it get?

"I haven't been entirely honest with you Alex. I was sent to Oakley by Pyramid Head to find you and bring you back here, and I still don't know what he wants with you... or me, that's the truth. But the reason I wanted to get you back here so badly wasn't to save those kids... it was to save myself."

James began to tell Alex everything. About how he found Toby Griffiths wandering the streets of Silent Hill alone and frightened, about how he ran away like a coward while Pyramid Head had dragged the child screaming into the fog. He told Alex about the deal he'd made with the red demon, bring Alex back to Silent Hill and James would be free to go. How the monster had passed some of his blood into James to prevent him from escaping whilst he was in the real world. How he'd almost killed Stanton and the whispers in his head, the darkness in his mind. And about how the Order members were also looking for him, and he still didn't know why.

By the time he'd finished telling Alex everything he didn't know how he was going to react. His face was a mask of stone, his expression giving nothing away. But he noticed with a slight unease that Alex's finger still remained on the trigger.

* * *

Alex needed a minute to take everything in, to process the information that both scared and angered him at the same time. He knew something wasn't right with James ever since they'd had the scuffle out on the highway and James had told Alex about how he'd murdered his wife. There was a look in his eyes that was dangerous, that made him seem like a different person. He'd been wary of him ever since that point and his wariness only increased in the hospital when James couldn't kill the Order member and looked like he was talking to a voice in his head.

Then there was Sunderland's appearance. The way he'd changed so rapidly in such a short space of time was frightening. His hair had almost completely changed colour and his skin was deathly pale, like he belonged on a slab in the morgue. When he'd first met James after the asylum, his clothes were hanging off him but now they fitted him perfectly, as if he'd put on a considerable amount of muscle since the hospital. But his eyes were frightening and Alex found himself feeling very uncomfortable if he looked into them for more than a few seconds. They were blacker than black and Alex could see a calculating and cunning swimming behind those dark pools that was almost alien. He knew now that it must be the blood of Pyramid Head running through James's body that was causing this change, but the reason for the change and what he was changing into he did not know, and dreaded the moment when he would find out.

James was looking at Alex with an anticipation of dread, anxious of what Alex's response would be. Alex tightened his finger on the trigger. He was royally pissed off at James for lying to him. He had pried into his conscious, making him feel responsible for the lives of those kids, making him feel that if he didn't go back to Silent Hill with James, then the fate of those children would be forever on his shoulders. And while Alex wasn't forced to come back to this town and did genuinely want to find those kids alive, James had gotten him here under false pretences. James just wanted to save his own skin and now Alex didn't know what he was dealing with. While they had Pyramid Head, and the Order to deal with, as James had revealed, they now had James _himself_ to deal with. Neither Alex nor James knew what was happening to him or what he was becoming, but after what he'd done to Officer Stanton, they both knew that he was becoming something dangerous. How the hell could Alex trust him? Finally, after what seemed like an hour long silence, Alex broke it.

"Well... anybody else would be beating the shit out of you right now for the way you've lied to get me here. But that's not going to solve anything; it's not going to help us find those kids. So we need to decide where we go from here and after everything you've just told me, I'm all out of ideas."

James shifted uncomfortably in his seat. "I'm sorry I lied to you Alex... but I'm not as much of a heartless bastard as you think I am. Yeah, I left the kid and that was wrong. But I did go back for him, I tried to find him!"

"Yeah, when your conscience got the better of you," Alex replied bitterly.

"You're right okay? I ran away like a coward but I went back, I wanted to the right thing for once in my life. Then I made the deal with Pyramid Head despite being fucking _terrified_ of him, I genuinely wanted to save the kid alright? So I can't be that much of a coward. If it weren't for the Order trying to find me I would have went in there all guns blazing, my life be damned."

Alex's head began to hurt; the Order had slipped his mind. It was just one thing after another in this town, why couldn't anything ever be straight forward?

"Do you have any idea why they might be looking for you?" Alex asked.

James shook his head. "I don't know. I heard them say that they 'have his protection' so maybe Pyramid Head has sent them to find me and bring me to him. They see Pyramid Head as a punisher. We're upsetting the order of things Alex, disturbing the balance, and they'll do whatever they can to bring us to their idea of justice."

"And what about you James? Do you genuinely care about what happens to those kids?" Alex asked.

James hesitated. "I don't know. I don't know who I am anymore... One minute I want to do the right thing, and the next I'm thinking thoughts that I shouldn't be thinking... dangerous thoughts."

Alex frowned and asked the question he was dreading to ask, "But _are_ they thoughts you shouldn't be thinking?"

James snapped his head up sharply and stared at Alex.

"Who are you James? Why were you called to Silent Hill?"

"Because... because I killed my wife. I told you that Shepherd."

Alex just stared at James, silently willing him to continue.

"I killed my wife... and I enjoyed it. God help me, I enjoyed it," said James in a hushed voice, placing his head in his hands.

"Then that's why you were chosen James. Because you already had the darkness inside of you, that's why you can never bring yourself to leave this town. You keep trying to fight it, but now that you have his blood inside you, you're finding it harder aren't you? Pretty soon you won't be able to fight it anymore."

James was silent for a long time and then looked Alex directly in the eyes, "That's why you have to kill me."

Alex was taken aback. "What?"

"You have to Alex, I can't be trusted. If I come with you to try and save these kids I don't know what I'll be capable of. You're right, pretty soon the darkness will overtake me completely, I can already feel myself giving in to it and what happens when that moment comes? What will I become? Will you be able to stop me Alex?"

Alex just stared at him. This was insane! He knew James was right, he wasn't going to be able to fight the shadows that were growing within him much longer but killing him? Alex didn't know if he could do it... he _couldn't_ do it!

"I'm not going to kill you James. What do you think Pyramid Head would do if I ended your life? He's spent God knows how long trying to prevent you from killing yourself; we both know he wants you alive. What do you think he would do if I did what you haven't been able to do? He'd kill those kids, that's what. And then this whole thing will have been for nothing."

"And why do you think he wants me alive?" James shot back. "He wants me alive so I can finish turning into whatever it is I'm becoming! You or those kids don't want to be around when that happens Alex, I'm beyond saving."

"But the kids aren't! We still have time to find them, you know this town better than me and two guns are better than one. I won't have a chance of finding them alone, I need you alive James."

James was silent for a long time, his brow furrowed. Alex could see he was having an internal struggle, he was finding it hard to come to a decision and Alex just hoped it would be the right one. He needed James to help him, if he killed him, Alex did not want to be around to feel the wrath of Pyramid Head, he would kill the children for sure. He thought of William's family. He thought of Bill and Iris and his little sister Molly. He thought of Toby Griffiths and his family who were going through the same unimaginable pain that Bill and Iris must be going through. The pain only a parent can understand. He had to find them, even if it did mean risking his own skin with James's unpredictable behaviour.

"... I'm in. I'll help you find them... but you hear me now Alex, I cannot be responsible for what I do. You know the risks, I'm going to try and fight this thing inside of me as best I can but if anything happens-"

"I understand James," Alex cut him off. "Let's just hope you can hold out a little longer."

James nodded.

"So where do you think we should start?" asked Alex. "You said that when you went back for Toby you were heading to the Lair... I've been there before." Images of Order members, torture chambers and flames that one would only find in the depths of hell flashed through his mind.

"Yeah but now that I look back on it I don't think I was on the right track. That's the first place Pyramid Head would expect us to go, it's where he wants us to go. I think, if they're still alive, those kids will be somewhere else entirely."

"Well that could be anywhere," said Alex with exasperation.

"I know how we could find out," said James. "The Order. If they're working for Pyramid Head they'll know where he's been taking the kids."

"That takes us back to the Lair again and they'd never tell us. They'd have their fun first and then kill us," replied Alex.

"We won't go to the Lair. There's this one Order member I've seen a lot, he's always running around the town on his own. One day I followed him, curious to see where he actually goes. Turns out he's a fan of Dargento Cemetery. He goes there almost every day. I don't know what he does there or why he goes but it's worth a shot. I'm surprised he hasn't been killed by a Smog or a Feral yet."

"So when we find this guy, you think he'll know where the kids are? What if he won't talk?"

"Then we'll make him talk," replied James. Alex looked at his eyes again and quickly looked away feeling uncomfortable. If they were going to try to coheres this guy into talking, he'd have to keep a close eye on James.

"Okay, Dargento Cemetery it is," stated Alex.

They both crouched down beside the duffle bag and began to sort through the weapons and ammunition. Alex was admiring a shot gun when James spoke.

"Alex?" Alex looked up at James. "If we find these kids and they're okay, you'll get them out of here won't you?"

"I'll do my best," replied Alex.

"Good. I don't want all of this to have been for nothing but I can't promise I'll have yours or those kids' best interests at heart when we find them. I don't know how long it's going to be before I can't fight this darkness anymore."

Alex was looking at James, a feeling of dread heavy in his stomach.

"Pyramid Head keeps telling me to embrace this darkness inside of me and I don't want to. I don't want to stay down there with him and become like the things I've been afraid of for so long. I've wished for death for so long but have always been scared of what's on the other side. When the darkness overcomes me, I don't think I'll be afraid anymore."

"James-" Alex began to speak but James cut him off.

"What I'm saying is, when the time comes, you'll take care of it, won't you?"

Alex could only stare at James, the words caught in this throat. A feral howled somewhere in the distance, the fog clawed at the windows.

"Alex. When the time comes, promise me that you'll kill me."

Alex didn't like it, but he knew what he must do when the moment came. He nodded.

"Alright James... I promise."


	11. Chapter 11

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, violence, disturbing imagery  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: Okay guys, here is chapter number eleven. I really hope you enjoy it, and please be warned that there is a **very disturbing scene** in this chapter so proceed with caution! Again, I thank you for every single read and review I get from you all, if I could thank you all personally I would.

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_You are your brother's keeper, remember it always.  
Or else, the Bogeyman will chain you underneath the waves._

The sky was on fire as James and Alex hurried east on Koontz Street. The clouds were ablaze with a thousand different shades of oranges and reds and James thought to himself that in another place, in a another time, he would have looked upon the scene with wonder instead of the foreboding sense of dread he felt now. The fog had disappeared and ordinarily James would have welcomed the absence of the deadly mist but now that he could see clearly, the sights that were visible to him were almost as bad as being blind in the fog. Buildings were decaying and dying, every scrap of metal he could see was rusting beyond repair and blood stains were smeared over doors, walls and concrete. And then there were the corpses. Dead bodies were littered across the sidewalk and the road. Some were missing limbs, some with their flesh burned almost completely down to the bone and others just completely ripped in half. Every one of them was a gruesome sight to behold, and every one of them was as unrecognisable as the last. James finally felt like this was the hell he'd feared for so long... The Otherworld had come.

James stayed close behind Alex as they continued east. Neither one of them had heard the screaming of the siren that normally signified the shift from the deadly Fog World to the even more deadly Otherworld. James guessed it was probably because they were too deep in conversation, figuring out what to do after James had told Alex everything about what he was. He was dreading that moment more than anything but he was tired of lying, he didn't have the energy to keep up the charade any longer. And why should he? Pyramid Head had screwed them both over, James had nothing left to lose.

Alex had taken the news better than James had expected. He had expected Alex to either walk away and leave him for the demons, beat the shit out of him or shoot him but he had remained calm and had made his intentions clear, he was going to stick it out until the end. James was grateful for that at least. He knew he didn't have long left now, he could feel himself changing, could feel the shadows extinguishing whatever little light he had inside of him to begin with and he just hoped that he could hold out until they found the kids. He wanted to do something right before the end came; he wanted to die knowing that he did everything he could.

Alex stopped at the left intersection that headed on to Wein Street, listening for any sounds of approaching monsters. James had to stay close as he had given Alex both his flashlight and his radio; he knew Alex would need them more than he would when the time came. James had a spare flashlight himself but he didn't want to use it. It was dangerous enough having one beam guiding them through the streets but to have two pushing back the darkness would be suicide. He had also given Alex a long black coat seeing as he had lost his jacket during the encounter with Pyramid Head in Brookhaven Hospital. They were both carrying weapons, despite James protesting to Alex that he shouldn't have anything that could be used against him when the time came. But Alex insisted that James needed to carry something and that he wasn't prepared to babysit James _and _those kids should they get ambushed by a gang of monsters. James knew by the look in Alex's eyes that he wouldn't even give James a chance to use the weapon when the inevitable happened anyway, and for that he was grateful.

So they both had fully loaded hand guns, James using the service pistol he took from Officer Stanton and Alex with a regular hand gun that James had found some time ago, a time that he couldn't remember. They both had knives, James a kitchen knife and Alex a combat knife. Alex also wanted to bring the shot gun and M14 assault rifle but James wouldn't hear of it. He instead told Alex to take the rifle as Pyramid Head seemed to be especially weak against that weapon, and the shot gun stayed in the apartments. Alex reluctantly agreed and he now had the rifle strapped to his back, which could easily be swung around to his front should he need to use it quickly. They had both brought as much ammo as they could carry.

Alex seemed satisfied with the lack of static from the radio and turned to James, almost blinding him with the flash light. "Okay. So we head up Wein Street and into Dargento Cemetery... What if the guy isn't there?"

"Then we wait for him until he is. Believe me, he'll show up. He always does."

Alex didn't seem completely satisfied with that answer but he turned around anyway and started heading up Wein Street. James knew that Alex felt uncomfortable looking at him for more than a few seconds at a time; the change in his appearance was drastic and frightening. He also never seemed to be able to look him straight in the eyes and James couldn't blame him. When he'd looked at his reflection back in the apartment, he was disturbed at how black his eyes were... How alien.

They passed the Artaud Theatre, the building silhouetted against the ember sky making it appear charred and scorched. James pictured the crumbling stage and the empty seats inside. He pictured the creatures of this town standing upon that stage and the empty seats filled with ghostly spectators, the spirits of all those who had come through this town and met their end at the hands of it. And instead of applause they would be screaming, screaming at the injustice of this doomed town, screaming in agony of not being able to rest, screaming for all those they had left behind, drowning in their guilt. James wondered if he would take one of those seats when he was gone. Would he sit there and look at that stage? Would he see Pyramid Head standing upon the stage, playing the part of Death? How he wished his story would have turned out differently, how he wished he could write his script all over again and how he wished there was no curtain call.

Alex and James turned right at the top of Wein Street and then took a left at the bottom of Sagan Street. James could see the entrance to Dargento Cemetery looming ahead on the left. They hadn't encountered any monsters so far but James knew they were close. Every now and then he would hear the bark of a Feral or the metal kiss of a Schism's jaws echoing through the night. No doubt they would encounter a few Smog creatures in the cemetery but they were disposed of easily enough. He just hoped that the monsters hadn't gotten to the Order member before they did.

Alex stopped at the mouth of the cemetery and turned to James once more. "Let's try and take this guy by surprise if he's in here. The last thing we need is him running away from us and alerting the others as to where we are."

"Right," James replied.

They entered the cemetery cautiously, guns out in front of them ready to blast anything that jumped out of the darkness. The place was like the rest of the town. The walls were crumbling and strewn with holes, metal gates were rusting and falling off the hinges, rubble littered the floors and the grass was overgrown and dying. Even the grave stones were falling apart, the writing and engravings illegible, ravaged by time and decay. They took it slow and easy, being careful of their footsteps, keeping them quiet, making sure not to trip over a stray brick or a hidden grave stone.

They made their way into the Sun Garden, the walls seeming to press in on them on all sides. Even though the sky was ablaze with orange and red when they both emerged from Woodside Apartments, the red was slowly taking over, bleeding over the orange and turning a dark shade of maroon. It would be dark soon and the creatures would come crawling out of the depths in their hundreds. James kept expecting a Smog to attack them at any minute but no static hissed from the radio. Everything was silent, and the shadows in the cemetery were growing larger with each passing moment.

They were both making their way to the Moon Garden when they heard a noise coming from the west. They both froze, guns pointed out in front of them, listening intently. The radio remained silent, and James knew that the noise had come from the Janus garden. The very same place where he'd found the assault rifle. Alex signalled to him, apparently he thought so too. They made their way slowly forward, slipping silently through a gate that was slightly ajar. James had a slight feeling of apprehension but it was only one Order member. What harm could he do against the two of them? All the same, he couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't going to like what they found.

They made a right and rounded the corner into the Janus Garden and James immediately knew why he had such a feeling of dread. Kneeling beneath the Janus statue with his back to them was the Order member they had been seeking. He was wearing the typical mining suit but his gas mask was absent revealing a mass of greasy black hair that looked like it hadn't been washed or maintained in years. An axe lay beside him on the grass but it wasn't the axe that disturbed James so deeply. Facing the man with its back to the Janus statue was a rotting corpse, its legs spread out at either side of the Order member. The corpse was so decomposed from what James could see that he couldn't determine whether it was male or female and the Order member was thrusting wildly, murmuring to himself and breathing heavily.

James looked at Alex who looked like he was about to be sick there and then. The flashlight illuminated the Order member but so intent was he on carrying out his disgusting act, that he didn't even notice their presence. _So this is what he does every time he comes here. Sick son of a bitch. _Alex looked at James. He pointed at himself and then at the axe. Then he pointed at James and then the Order member. James nodded and Alex nodded back, and then as quick as a flash they were both moving. Alex ran over to where the axe lay, snatched it up and threw it into the corner of the garden, out of reach of the Order member. James grabbed hold of the man, one hand on the back of his neck and the other in his hair and pulled the stunned guy on to his feet. Alex had the gun on the Order member before he even knew what was happening. James looked down at the corpse but averted his eyes quickly before he emptied the contents of his stomach.

Alex looked at the man with contempt and distaste. "What's your name?" he asked.

"Forget his name!" snapped James. "We haven't got time for fucking pleasantries Alex; ask this bastard what we need to know!"

Alex looked at James cautiously. He didn't know why he'd snapped like that, the scum in his arms was just making him angry. All of the animals in this town whether they were human or not made him angry. He'd had enough of all of them.

"What's your name?" repeated Alex, keeping calm.

"My name is John Wayne! And I fucked your mother last night boy! What's yours?" replied the man laughing manically and struggling in James's grip. He was obviously insane, but of course James knew that the minute they caught him defiling the corpse.

"Well, John, my name is Alex. And you're going to tell us what we need to know and you won't get hurt okay? Now, Pyramid Head, you've seen him?"

"Oooooh that huge motherfucker with the knife? Yeah, I seen him boy! He's one scary son of a bitch."

"Where is he taking the kids John? You're part of the Order, you should know," Alex asked, keeping the gun steady in his hand.

"Ain't part of that Order no more boy! So John Wayne says fuck you!" laughed John, as if he had just made the most hilarious joke in the world.

James was getting irritated with the son of a bitch. Alex was being too lenient. They didn't have time to fuck around and mollycoddle the guy; they should just beat it out of him. Alex took a step towards the insane captive and put the gun to his temple.

"You tell me where he's taking the kids now or I'll blow your fucking brains out you animal," said Alex, pressing the gun harder into the man's head.

"Go ahead," replied John, grinning inanely, "I'll say hi to your mother when I see her in hell, after she's got down on her knees for me boy!"

James had had enough. He had felt the rage building up inside of him ever since they'd found the man with the body and now he finally snapped. He spun John around to face him and pushed him forcefully back into the Janus statue. He put one hand around the man's neck and took his gun out with the other. It was the first time John had seen James's face properly and he looked terrified. Maybe James had changed even more since the apartments or maybe not. Either way James knew he must have looked quite frightening. He placed his gun forcefully against John's crotch.

"You tell us what we want to know or you can say goodbye to your dick. No more corpses for you Johnny boy!" said James, tightening his finger on the trigger.

"I-I don't know w-where he's taking them! I don't know what you're t-talking about... Please!" stammered John. He looked so scared; James thought he might piss himself.

"_Kill him James... Snap his neck like you wanted to do before... Do it my creator, and bring Alex to me."_

James heard the voice in his head but instead of trying to fight it he wanted to listen to it. He was tired of running, and even if he wanted to fight the voice he didn't think he had the energy to do so. He was tired of trying to fight the darkness, tired of feeling guilty and tired of feeling scared. He just didn't want to feel anything anymore. He could feel his mind clouding, could feel himself getting stronger... He could feel himself _changing._

"Okay," he whispered with a dark smile. "Okay."

* * *

Alex watched the John tremble in James's grip. He had to keep a close eye on James in case he lost it but he seemed to be getting somewhere, John looked petrified. Alex didn't feel any guilt. After what they'd caught him doing with the dead body, the son of a bitch deserved it. He tried not to think about it, if he replayed that scene again in his mind he would most certainly vomit all over the grave stones. He hoped to God that John had some idea of where Pyramid Head was. If he didn't, they'd be back at square one again and Alex knew they were running out of time. It would only be a matter of time before he would have to take care of James. The guy needed to talk.

Alex watched as James placed his gun in the back of his waistband and put his hand on John's neck, along with his other one. _What the hell is he doing? _That's when John began to choke and Alex realised with horror that James was strangling him. Alex put his gun away and ran forward, grabbing hold of James's shoulders and pulling violently but James seemed to have a grip of steel.

"James, stop! You're going to kill him for God sake!" cried Alex, pulling with all of his strength.

Alex could see John starting to turn blue. He couldn't die now! He hadn't told them where Pyramid Head was! Alex knew that he wasn't getting anywhere with the pulling tactic so he took out his hand gun and slammed the butt of it down on to the back of James's head, hard. James let go of John who fell to the floor coughing and gasping for air. Alex took a few steps backward and tightened his grip on the gun. Something wasn't right here. James would never try to kill the guy unless... unless...

_*HISSSSSS*_

The sharp burst of static made Alex jump and he swung his gun around to see if any Smog creatures had snuck up on them while they had been caught up in the interrogation. But there was nothing behind him. There was nothing in the Janus Garden besides from himself, John and...

"James!" Alex spun around with his gun held out in front of him, his finger ready to squeeze the trigger but he was too late. He came face to face with James, or the thing that James had become. His hair was completely silver now and had grown longer, falling into his eyes. His face was ghostly pale and the blue veins that ran beneath his skin stood out in stark contrast to his pale complexion. He had put on a considerable amount of muscle, so much so that his jacket had ripped in multiple places and he had grown at least five inches taller, Alex had to crane his neck to look up at him. But he didn't want to look, oh God he didn't want to look into those eyes that had now turned completely black. James had changed; he had given in to the darkness. Alex had to finish him and finish him now.

As if reading his thoughts James's hand shot out, too fast for Alex to even know what was happening, and seized Alex's hand in a crushing grip. With his other hand he took Alex's gun and threw it behind him. Alex turned his head to see where the gun had landed but it was lost in the long grass. He turned back to face James and went for his knife but James grabbed his other hand and pulled Alex closer. James put his face close to Alex's and a chill ran up his spine when James smiled, exposing a row of pearly white teeth.

"Naughty boy Alex," chuckled James. His voice sent an icy stab of fear through Alex's stomach. It had gotten deeper, so deep that it didn't sound human. "After I saved your life too, this is how you repay me?"

"You didn't save my life! James did, and James is gone now. You're just a fucking monster!" cried Alex, struggling to release himself of James's iron grip.

James shook his head in amusement, "Oh no Alex. I _am _James. I'm the part of James that he should have embraced all along, the part that we all have inside of us." James began to stare intensely at Alex, as if he were trying to see straight into his soul. Alex began to sweat and took a quick glance at John over James's shoulder who was slowly trying to get himself to his feet. He needed to get away from James; he needed to ask John where Pyramid Head was.

"You have the darkness inside of you too Alex," continued James. "Not as strong as me but it's there. You took your brother out onto that lake and you can't tell me you didn't enjoy watching your father get sliced apart by Pyramid Head."

"Shut up you bastard! If you're going to kill me then just get it over with!"

"Oh no Alex, I'm not going to kill you. I have plans for you... _He _has plans for you. But I think I'm going to have a little fun with you first."

Alex's blood ran cold and then he felt a blinding pain in his stomach as James punched him, knocking the breath out of him completley. He doubled over in agony and felt a fist connect with his jaw at such a force that it knocked him off his feet. He went flying through the air and smashed into the south wall of the garden. He landed on the floor, stunned and disorientated. He lifted his head up and felt blood running down his face. He put a hand to the back of his head and felt a deep gash on his scalp. His jaw was hurting so much that he could barely move it. Through blurred vision he saw James slowly advancing on John once more.

Alex got down on his hands and knees and began frantically searching for his gun, the flashlight illuminating the ground before him. He was about to give up and use the rifle when his hand found the weapon and he clutched it tightly. Ignoring the agonising pounding in his head and the throbbing in his jaw, he got to his feet and took aim.

"John, run!" he shouted and James turned to face him. John bolted past them and ran around the corner. Alex fired off a shot but his vision was still fuzzy and he caught James in the shoulder. James flinched but he barely seemed to feel it. Alex fired again but this time he missed completely. He knew he was wasting time and ammunition. He couldn't fight James in this condition so he did the only other thing he could do, he ran. He sprinted around the corner and saw John near the far gate that lead to the Sun Garden. He caught up with him and grabbed him by the arm.

"John, we don't have much time. You need to tell me where Pyramid Head goes. Please!"

"I-I don't know where he takes those kids, I s-swear!"

"Okay, but-"

Alex heard a noise behind him and swung around with his gun steady but there was nothing there. And then he heard it, soft laughter echoing all around them. It was James, he was playing with them. He could jump out at them at any minute and then it would all be over. Alex's head was hurting so much he thought he was going to pass out, he wasn't going to last if James caught them.

"John, we don't have much time. He's going to come and he's going to kill us! Now forget the kids, where does Pyramid Head go?"

"I-"

"I can seeeee you Alex," said James in a sing-song voice. Alex still couldn't see James but he knew he was close. "Coming, ready or not."

"We're running out of time John!" Alex said frantically. "Give me something, give me anything!"

"The-the labyrinth. He's always in his labyrinth," replied John with a wild terror in his eyes.

"And where is that?" Alex heard a loud bang, very close. He kept his gun out in front of him, his hands were trembling terribly and his breathing was shallow.

"Come on John!"

"Silent Hill Historical Society! That's how you get in; it-it's deep underground. Just keep going down!"

"Okay, let's go!" shouted Alex.

They stumbled through the gate, the metal protesting against the rust. They were halfway across the Sun Garden when James appeared through a hole in the wall to the right of them that led to the Moon Garden. Alex kept on running but John wasn't so lucky and he stumbled and fell on a grave stone that was protruding from the ground. Alex had almost reached the entrance to the cemetery when he turned around; ready to go back for John but James had gotten there first. He held John by the shoulders and gave Alex a smile and a wink before biting savagely into John's neck. The screams were horrific, they didn't even sound human. James tore a huge chunk of cartilage out of his victim sending blood gushing from his neck. The screams died with John who laid twitching and dying amongst the grave stones of Dargento Cemetery.

James looked at Alex and gave him a blood stained smile. "The chase is almost as much fun as the kill. You're not going to make me chase you some more are you Alex?"

Alex looked at James and the huge smear of blood around his mouth. He looked at John's mutilated corpse on the floor. His head was still pounding and his vision was blurred, he knew he would have virtually no chance if he ran now. He knew he would almost certainly be caught and get dragged back to Pyramid Head, wherever that may be... but he ran anyway. He turned around and flew out of the entrance and back on to Sagan Street. Silent Hill Historical Society was all the way on the other side of town. He needed to find somewhere to hide first. Somewhere where he could lose James and get himself together again, but he knew that wasn't going to be easy.

"I'll give you a five second head start Alex!" he heard James shout in that inhumane voice of his. "One..."

Alex sprinted right at the bottom of Sagan Street.

"Two..."

He pushed himself harder, sweat running into his eyes and impairing his vision further. He made a sharp left turn and flew down Wein Street.

"Three..." His voice was fading now. _He's actually treating this like a fucking game!_

The end of Wein Street was in sight. He ran past the Overlook Penitentiary and then the Artaud Theatre.

"Four..." Alex barely heard that, it was merely a ghost of a whisper. Alex ran even faster, ignoring the hammering in his skull and the aching in his legs. Once James started running he would have such a slim chance of getting away. He needed to put as much distance as he could between himself and the monster. Alex turned left at the bottom of Wein Street and then right at the bottom of Koontz Street.

He was sprinting south on Acadia Road when he heard a sound that terrified him to his very soul. He didn't hear James shouting five, but what he did hear was a cry so inhuman that only a demon from hell itself could have made that kind of sound. James had finished counting and he was coming for him. The hunt had begun.

Alex ran so fast, he ran for his life. He didn't have to look back to know that James who was stronger and faster than him, was coming for him and was coming fast.

Alex looked up at the pitch black sky and even though he wasn't a religious man, found himself whispering with every step he took, "_Please God, please God, please God, please God..."_


	12. Chapter 12

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, violence.  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: Again guys, very sorry for the delay. I've been so busy looking for a job and now I've finally found one, things are a bit more busy than usual. But I vow to have this story done by the end the year it out and it's drawing to a close now anyway. Again, I thank you all for your reads and reviews and for sticking with me and the story itself. I hope you enjoy the chapter!

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_And while the good children live, the bad ones cannot escape their fate.  
For once you hear his screeching wail, it's already too late._

Alex didn't remember stumbling into Annie's Bar on the corner of Craig Street and Riverside Drive. He didn't remember barring the door from inside with one of the many chairs that went with the many tables dotted about the place. And he didn't remember passing out whilst cradling his gun in both hands as if it were a child. What he did remember however was waking up to a blinding pain at the back of his head and a small pool of blood on the floor in the spot where he'd been lying. He also couldn't remember how long he'd been out for and became increasingly nervous at the thought that the longer he'd been unconscious, the more time that gave James to catch up with him and sniff him out.

He now sat the dusty bar, hands trembling with the pain throbbing in his skull, dismayed to find all of the alcohol bottles either empty or undrinkable. What he wouldn't give for a shot of Jack Daniels right now. He remembered how he would sit on his front porch in his house back in Oakley with a JD and coke in his hand, watching King chasing butterflies in the front yard, with the sun setting behind the clouds, a cool breeze caressing his face. He wondered how his dog was doing. He pictured him padding around the empty house, crying with loneliness, wondering if Alex would ever return to him. The thought made him sad and want a JD more than ever before.

He had found an old first aid kit under the bar and had patched up his head injury as best he could but the throbbing would not subside. The kit was not short of bandages but when it came to pain killers, there was none. It's as if this town didn't want you to feel good, as if it had locked all of the things that could numb the pain away in the shadows. James had really done a number on him. Alex shuddered as he remembered the ferocious strength of the thing that used to be James. The way he smiled as he ripped the Order member's throat out with his teeth and the animalistic cry he made that was not of this world and that would haunt his dreams forever, whether he was sleeping the sleep of the living or dead.

Alex knew he needed to make a move. It would do him no good to sit here dwelling on what had happened earlier and in the past. He needed to get himself together and go and find the kids so he could get back to Oakley and back to his house and King. He needed to get to the Historical Society and keep going down to the labyrinth, just as John Wayne had said. The truth was though, that he was afraid. He didn't know how long he'd been passed out for. Maybe James had seen him coming into the bar and was waiting for him to take one step outside. Alex could picture him now, standing across the street in the shadows. His eyes not visible as the black pools would blend into the darkness that surrounded him but his pearly white teeth would be visible though and he would be smiling. Oh yes, would he be smiling.

Alex shook his head trying to erase that disturbing mental image and in the process sent a stab of pain through his skull and down his neck. He winced and got up off of the stool, putting a hand on the bar to steady himself and waiting for the dizziness to pass. He would have to go out there sometime; James would still be roaming the streets no matter how long he left it so he might as well just get it over with. He checked the rifle was securely fastened over his back. Checked he still had his combat knife and checked that his handgun was fully loaded. He gave his numerous pockets that he had in his long coat a pat, to assure himself that the ammo was still there.

He made his way cautiously over to the door, turning off his flashlight so as not to draw attention to himself when he stepped out into the streets. He held the gun in his right hand and reached for the chair that was barring the door with his left. He was about to move the chair when suddenly, the door handle moved. Alex snatched his hand back as if he'd just been burned and watched with horror as the handle slowly began to turn downwards. His radio began to hiss softly and he quickly turned it off because he didn't want the thing on the other side of that door to know he was in here. He also didn't need the radio to tell him what the thing was, because he knew. It was James.

Alex felt as if he were hypnotised, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the door handle that was slowly going up and down, up and down. The door began to push inwards but was halted by the chair that was obstructing it. Sooner or later James would get tired of this game and would smash the door in, and Alex knew that the flimsy chair would be obliterated on James's first try, and then he would be in here, smiling that awful smile. That thought snapped Alex out of whatever trance he was in and he frantically began looking for another way out but the only way out was the way in and with James out there, it was a no go. His only other option would be to hide but there was only the bar and a few tables to provide any cover, James would find him in less than five seconds.

Alex took a few steps back from the door and held his gun out in front of him, trying to steady his hands. He watched the handle begin to rattle more frantically and flinched when James began to pound on the door from the outside, the chair shuddering with every blow. He tried to remember how much taller James had become, tried to mentally imagine where his head would be. He aimed his gun a little higher. The wood began to splinter on the door, a few more seconds and he would be in. Alex tightened his finger on the trigger. _As soon as he gets through that door, go for a head shot. Don't miss this time, for God sake, don't miss! _And as soon as the pounding had started, it abruptly stopped. Alex waited on tenterhooks, sweat gathering at the nape of his neck. Had he gone? Or was he still waiting on the other side? And then he heard it.

_*Scraaaaaatch, scraaaatch, scraaaaaatch.*_

There was a scratching sound coming from the other side of the door, as if an army of the undead weretrying to claw their way in. Every scratch made Alex wince, as if someone was scraping a blade down his spine. He wondered if this was just another part of James's game. Was he just scratching on the door to try to unnerve him? Would he get bored of that and begin to pound on the door again? Alex could only stand where he was and wait, keeping his finger firmly planted on the trigger. A part of him wanted James to come bursting through those doors. Then he could just put a bullet in his head and that would be one less thing to deal with. But a moment later the scratching stopped. Alex listened, the silence almost too much to bear and then he heard it, a faint chuckle. Then receding footsteps, retreating back into the darkness.

Alex couldn't say how long he stood there with his gun pointed at the door. It could have been a minute, it could have been an hour but when he finally emerged from the bar, the streets were deserted and no static omitted from his radio. The way seemed to be clear for the moment. He turned around to face the outside of the doors and finally realised what had caused that awful scratching sound. James had taken out his knife and engraved a message on the wooden surface. A message that made Alex cold all over, a message that he wished he hadn't seen.

_JOSH IS WAITING FOR YOU ALEX._

XXX_  
_

_Waiting for you... _Alex was making his way as quickly but as cautiously as he could down Nathan Avenue, he knew the Historical Society was not far off now. He hadn't been ambushed by James or any other creatures when he left Annie's Bar and he prayed that he would reach his destination without incident. He heard the waves of Toluca Lake sighing softly to his left, the water so black it looked like a lake of oil. He didn't want to look at it. He knew that if he did he would see himself and Josh out on that lake, he would try and shout to himself to go back, to go home before he lost the one good thing in his life. But he'd just be chasing phantoms, trying to change what had already come to pass.

Josh. Ever since seeing that ominous message that James had left for him, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He kept replaying it over and over in his mind, asking himself time and time again if he'd read it right, even though he was certain he had. But he couldn't have because Josh wasn't waiting for him, because Josh was dead. He'd held his brothers lifeless corpse the last time he was in Silent Hill. He had begged Josh's forgiveness and had accepted what he'd done. He'd moved on god damn it! Josh wasn't alive, it was obviously some sick and twisted joke that James was trying to play on him and he wasn't going to let him or that bastard Pyramid Head give him false hope and cloud his judgement.

Finally the Historical Society came into view. It wasn't a remarkable building by any stretch of the imagination. It was small and unimposing; the white washed wood panels and the blue roof on the exterior of the building muddied and clouded by years of non maintenance. Alex made his way through the entrance; the double doors creaking as he cautiously pushed open and closed them behind him. A musky odour that could only be caused by thick layers of dust and grime build up assaulted his nostrils when he entered the lobby. The wallpaper was peeling and the carpet was thick with dirt. He treaded carefully and made his way through the first set of double doors into a small room.

The display case which held some form of model was smashed and paintings littered the walls. One particular painting on the wall to his left caught his attention. He walked over to it; his flashlight illuminating the piece of art and a cold prickle of fear trickled down his spine when he saw who the subject of the painting was. It was Pyramid Head. There he stood, holding his great knife in his right hand and he was surrounded by dead bodies hanging in cages, lifeless and without features. Alex read the information plaque below the gruesome scene which read, _"Misty day, remains of the Judgement."_ Alex tore his eyes away from the painting and made his way through another set of double doors, his gun held out in front of him.

He found himself in a room very similar to the last one. More smashed display cases, more paintings on the walls, although Alex didn't want to look at any of them this time. Directly to his right there was a huge hole in the wall, which revealed a long set of stairs leading down. Alex stood at the top of those stairs, gazing down into the darkness. Although he had his flashlight on, he couldn't see the bottom. How long did they go on for? Alex hesitated. What would be waiting for him at the bottom of those stairs? Would James be down there, chuckling inanely? Or would it be Pyramid Head, sharpening that knife of his? The Order member, John Wayne's terrified words about the labyrinth echoed in his ears, _"it-it's deep underground. Just keep going down!"_ Alex knew there was no other way. He took a deep breath and began to make his descent, very aware that somewhere in the distance, a boat horn was sounding.

XXX

After what felt like two hours, Alex finally made his way to the end of the long staircase and made his way through a rusting metal door at the bottom. He found himself in a tiny room, his flashlight illuminating the whole space quite adequately. The walls were concrete, grey and drab and the floor was covered with metal panels, rusting and flaking. To his right there was a desk and on top of it, a ledger of some sorts. He quickly read the first page of contents and discovered that it was a list of prisoners dating all the way back to 1820. Alex was puzzled but not surprised. It wasn't the strangest thing he'd discovered in this town. He left the ledger where it was and made his way through another metal door across the room.

As soon as he had heard the door creak shut behind him, his radio began to hiss. He held up his gun in front of him and proceeded into what looked to be a long corridor leading both left and right, and to his right, a Patient Demon was ambling towards him. Alex took careful aim, making sure to stay out of range should the beast decide to spray him with acid and shot it three times in the head, sending it crashing to the floor with a heavy thump. The static from his radio died and all was silent once more. Alex reloaded his gun and made his way to a door at the right end of the corridor but it was jammed. He turned around and at the left end of the corridor he had more luck. He opened the door and made his way through it, leaving the lifeless corpse of the Patient Demon to decay along with the rest of the building.

Alex found himself in a tiny room; small windows were set high up in the walls with rusting bars covering them, preventing any escape. In the middle of the room set in the floor, was a large square hole. Alex stood at the edge, looking down into the gloom. There was nowhere else to go but here... Was he going to have to jump down that thing? He shined his flashlight down into the abyss but the darkness stretched on forever. Alex knew there was no other way to go but that didn't make him like it any less. What if John Wayne was just lying about the Historical Society? In his terror of dying at James's hands, he could have just blurted out anything in an attempt to make Alex get him out of the cemetery alive. But deep down Alex knew that wasn't true. First he'd found the staircase and now this.

"Just keep going down," Alex whispered.

He took a deep breath. He closed his eyes. He jumped.

XXX

Alex awoke to find himself in one piece in the bottom of what seemed to be a deep well. He stood up carefully trying to ignore the flash of pain in his head, the jump clearly making it flare back up again. He was standing in ankle deep water, evident by the fact that his backside was wet from sitting in it and now his shoes were sodden, making him feel even more uncomfortable. The well was circular and he was surrounded by bricks on all sides. He shined his flashlight to the left and discovered a section of bricks that had come away to reveal a metal door. He pushed it open, chasing away the darkness on the other side and leaving the well with it.

Alex found himself in yet more ankle deep water in what appeared to be some sort of sewer. After navigating the murky tunnels and killing another Patient Demon, he came to yet again, another hole. It seemed as if a metal gate on the floor used to cover the hole and prevented any chance of going down but it looked like somebody had unlocked that gate and now it stood open, inviting anybody who dared to take the leap. Again Alex couldn't see the bottom and again he hated the prospect of throwing himself blindly down into the darkness where death could possibly be waiting for him on the other side. But he had no other choice, and he knew there was no other way.

"Just keep going down," he whispered into the gloom.

With less hesitation this time, he jumped.

Alex didn't pass out this time but he wished he had when he hit the bottom. He managed to keep his legs bent on the point of impact but he landed on his feet which gave way and he hit his ass on the floor so hard that if he had his mouth open he would have bitten off his tongue. His ankles throbbed and he was surprised he didn't break or at least sprain one of them. He got to his feet awkwardly and looked around. Ever since emerging from the bottom of the stairs in the Historical Society he had a strong suspicion about where he was and looking around now only confirmed those suspicions. He was in a prison, more specifically now, the cafeteria of said prison. He found himself thinking of Overlook Penitentiary and Deputy Wheeler. He pushed those thoughts from his mind and scanned the room. Benches and tables lined either side of the decaying room, some overturned, some rotting. Alex even saw some food trays on some of the tables, most of them crawling with maggots or cockroaches, feasting on leftover food that had been there for a length of time Alex didn't even want to think about.

He made his way through a set of doors on the other side of the room and found himself in a long corridor. Alex didn't even know what he was looking for. He knew he had to get to the labyrinth but prison's were big places, and dangerous. He assumed he was looking for another hole, or another route that led downwards but that could be anywhere and he was rapidly running out of time. Any minute now Pyramid Head could come thudding down the corridor or James could come running and then it would be game over.

Alex made his way across the corridor and through another metal rusting door, bringing him into yet another corridor but this time; a row of metal barred cells occupied the right side of the stretching hallway. Static immediately filled his ears and as he passed each cell, he discovered that some of them contained Patient Demons, pacing restlessly in the small space and trying to spray him with acid as he went past. Thankfully he avoided the deadly liquid and thankfully the cells containing the beasts seemed to be locked. He found the second to last cell near the end of the corridor open and he stepped inside.

The space was tiny inside with only a small desk, a rather foul smelling toilet and a rusting bed frame without the mattress to occupy it. The desk was littered with papers and books. Alex examined some of the titles and found that they read, "_On Sacrifice and the Art of Demon Summoning", "Tome of the Seer", "The Feast of the Succubi" _and_ "The Fallen Angels of Mercy and Favour." _Alex wasn't sure whether he was too busy being occupied with the strange books or the fact that his radio was omitting constant static because of the beastly prisoners in the next cells, that he didn't hear the footsteps approaching until it was too late. The door to the cell that he was in slammed shut and he whirled around faster than he thought was possible with the gun aimed out in front of him to find two Order members on the other side of the metal bars, staring at him through their mining masks, with guns pointed at him.

"Well, looks like we caught ourselves a live one Mac," said the one on the right.

"We sure have Curtis," replied the one on the left, now identified as Mac. Alex noticed that Mac was holding a ring of, what looked to be about thirty keys in his free hand and realised with dismay that he must have been locked in when his attention was elsewhere. Alex scolded himself for being so stupid and his mind was racing to come up with a solution on how to get out of this mess.

"Now put the gun down Alex." _They know my name. _"You'd only get off one shot before one of us would put one in your head. There's one of you, two of us. Do the math and put it down boy," commanded Curtis.

Alex knew they were right. He slowly put the gun in the back of his waistband.

"And turn that fucking radio off!" shouted Mac. "It's giving me a headache!"

Alex turned it off, drenching the corridor in silence. The only sound that could be heard was the Patient Demon's laboured pacing and horrible suckling sounds.

"Now, first things first," began Curtis. "Where's the other one? Where's Sunderland?"

_He's coming, and if he finds us he'll kill us all you fucking idiot. _"I don't know. I don't know where he is," replied Alex.

"You lying little shit!" accused Mac. "If you won't tell us, we'll take you to the Punisher. You'll talk for him boy!"

Fear ran through Alex like a steam train. He couldn't let these guys take him to Pyramid Head. They obviously didn't know that James had changed and was working with Pyramid Head. If he was taken by force he'd lose the element of surprise and his chance to get the kids out of there.

"Come on Curtis, we'll just take him to the visitors hall, through the trap door and-"

"Shut up Mac! I know the fucking way just as well as you do. Honestly you're so stupid sometimes, you..."

Alex watched as Curtis trailed off. He watched as Mac pointed behind Curtis at something that was evidently at the end of the corridor. He watched Curtis turn around to see what Mac was pointing at and he watched as both men began to tremble and back away. Then he heard the laugh float down the hallway.

Alex knew exactly what was at the end of that corridor and his heart began to hammer in his chest. He needed to get out of this cell now before James got to him. He took aim with his handgun and tried to shoot the lock off of his cell door but it didn't so much as move an inch. Curtis was well out of view now, probably running his ass off through the other door to wherever that led, but Mac was still standing there, shaking with fear. Alex seized the opportunity with both hands and grabbed Mac through the bars of his cell. Before the Order member knew what was happening, Alex had wrenched the ring of keys from his hand and was fumbling to find the right one. He frantically tried one wrong key after the other, his hands shaking, his pulse pounding.

"Run you idiot, RUN!" shouted Alex to Mac. Mac began to move but before he could take one step a dark blur shot past Alex's cell, taking Mac with it and leaving a spray of blood which drenched Alex's face. Alex ignored it and continued to try key after key. He could hear James's guttural snarl and then Mac's scream which didn't sound human.

"Come on you son of a bitch, COME ON!" screamed Alex, getting more and more desperate with each passing second. He was shaking so violently he almost dropped the keys. He must have been on his fifteenth try by now.

He heard James stop feeding. He heard his footsteps approaching. Alex shoved another key into the lock and almost cried with relief when he heard the _click _and the cell door swung open. He didn't even bother to get out his gun; he knew James would be too fast for him in such close quarters. He just darted left and began to sprint down the corridor, heading for the door in which he came. He heard heavy footsteps behind him, and then the breath was knocked out of him when James tackled him from behind. He fell to the floor and quickly tried to scramble back up but he was turned around on to his back and came face to face with James who was pinning him to the ground, grinning inanely, blood smeared around his mouth. Alex could do nothing but to stare into those black eyes and struggle to free himself but to no avail.

"Order members, they taste like shit," said James in that chilling voice of his. "But I bet you'll taste a whole lot better Alex."

James smiled and Alex acted. He wrenched his right arm free of James's grip, pulled out his combat knife and stuck it in James's side. James let out a howl of pain and anger and dragged Alex to his feet. He pulled him off his feet by the lapels of his jacket, with the knife still stuck in his side.

"You'll pay for that. Oh will I have my fun with you when Pyramid Head get's hold of you. I'll take your heart," rasped James before throwing Alex down the length of the corridor.

Alex hit the floor hard. His head throbbed more than ever before and he watched James through blurred vision wrench the knife from his side and advance once more. Alex stumbled to his feet and fell through the door he came through. He raced to the end of the corridor, hearing James right behind him. He threw himself through a door to his left and then another door across the room, finding himself in another corridor. He looked this way and that, breathless and dizzy from the throbbing in his head. He heard a door slam somewhere behind him and knew James was close.

He ran to the end of the corridor, catching a glimpse through one of the open doors to his left. He saw a chair and a pane of glass with a mouth piece through which to talk to. _I'm in the visitor's hall! Where is that trapdoor? _Alex burst through the door at the end of the corridor, slamming it behind him. He then came to a metal gate and swung it open, stumbling through and closing it again. He found himself in a small corridor surrounded by doors and in the floor was a trapdoor with what looked to be a handle made out of wax. Alex was flooded with relief but knew he didn't have time to be jubilant. James was coming.

He threw open the trapdoor and without a moment's hesitation, jumped down into the darkness.

Alex landed on his ass this time and wondered how many more falls it could survive before he broke his tail bone. He was in yet another corridor, surrounded by rusting doors and beneath him, a white tiled floor. He heard a faint cry somewhere above him and the mental image of James coming crashing down the hole from which Alex had just came spurred him into action and he quickly made his way through a set of double doors which brought him into a small room. Occupying the room was a dead body on a gurney covered with a white sheet. Its pale feet sticking out the end were the only thing visible. On the walls to his right and left were multiple large holes with many pairs of feet sticking out of them. Alex shuddered to think how many corpses were stuffed in those tunnels and quickly moved on through another set of doors.

To his right was another corpse on a gurney but in front of him two gates stood open and the floor gave way into another deep hole. Somehow Alex knew this was going to be the last hole he'd have to jump down and that it led to the labyrinth. He was dreading what waited for him down there. He would finally have to come face to face with the thing he'd been running from for so long. Death was waiting for him down below, and if he tried to go back, death would also be waiting for him there. He thought of little William and Toby. He hoped that they were still alive. He hoped he'd live to see Oakley again. Just one more plunge, the final leap.

"Just keep going down," Alex whispered.

He jumped, leaving his fears behind and getting ready to face what lay ahead.


	13. Chapter 13: Part I

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, violence.  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: Hey everyone, I am SO sorry for the huge delay in this and for making you all wait! This is indeed the final chapter although I'm posting it in two parts and here is part one! Part two will be coming soon I promise, and will be posted as chapter 14. I am halfway through this final chapter now but I didn't want to make you all wait, I wanted to give you something to keep you going so here it is. Plus it's pretty long already so it's better in two parts. Again I thank you all so much for continuing to read and review it, it really is appreciated and I'm sorry I had to make you all wait so long. Final author's note will be in part two so I hope you enjoy this one, I hope it was worth the wait!

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_So do not cry aloud at night, stay hidden in your bed...  
Or the Bogeyman from Silent Hill will come chop off your head._

Part I

And down Alex went, deeper and deeper into the unknown and into the darkness. This final hole wasn't as deep as the other ones and he landed on his feet and managed to stay on them with minimum difficulty. The ground shuddered beneath him and Alex had a sickening feeling that it was going to crumble and give way, plunging him down another drop, only this time to his death. But after taking in his surroundings he realised that the cause for this unstable ground was because it wasn't ground at all, he was standing in a very old and rusting elevator.

He could see the rather narrow shaft he was suspended in through the decaying and crumbling prison like bars that served for the walls of the elevator. And that's when he realised, if there were bars in place of walls, where the hell where the buttons to control the thing? He looked around on all four sides of him but could find nothing to control the movement of the elevator. _How the hell did people get up and down in this thing? _Alex wondered, trying to shove away the niggling thought in the back of his mind that if there was no way to control the elevator, there may be no way to get out of it. The thought of being suspended god knew how many feet up in the air in a cage-like coffin make Alex feel nauseous and he began to break out in a sweat, trying to force himself to think logically.

Maybe the control buttons were at the top and bottom of where the elevator stopped and had to be pressed before you got into it. That thought made Alex sweat even more because if that was the case, it was pretty much a done deal that he was stuck. There was no way he could climb back up the shaft, despite the drop not being as large as the others. So the only other way to go was down. And how else could he get the elevator to go down besides from pressing the buttons? He closed his eyes and took a deep breath, praying to whoever was listening that the distance to the bottom wasn't as significant as he was imagining and dreading in his mind. He swallowed that dread and began to jump, putting all of his weight into his feet, as if he really did want the floor to crumble and give way this time.

The elevator began to groan and shake. Alex kept jumping, trying not to think about how insane and dangerous this was. But he'd come this far, he'd taken countless jumps before this one not knowing what was at the bottom. He just hoped that the luck he'd had with those risks would hold out for this one too. The noise of his feet hitting the floor was deafening in the narrow shaft and the sound travelled downwards and reverberated back up towards the top. _Come on you bastard, move, move! _And with one final mighty jump and a loud snapping noise, the elevator did just that. But it didn't just move, it _plummeted. _

Alex barely had time to brace himself, it all happened so fast. His stomach dropped as the elevator began to fall. The metal bars screamed against the shaft and sparks began to fly as they picked up speed. He managed to get himself down on all fours to distribute his weight evenly should the distance be as long as he was dreading and with all of his strength he forced himself to stay in the middle of the elevator. If he were to stumble or fall and touch the sides, whatever part of him that made contact with those deadly rusty bars that were biting into the shaft walls with their spark like claws, would surely be ripped clean off.

After what felt like an eternity, the elevator finally hit the bottom of the shaft with such a bone rattling force that Alex's breath was knocked clean out of him. The strength of the impact propelled him upwards a few feet into the air and he landed hard on the ground, certain he'd done some serious damage to his kneecaps. He rolled over onto his side trying to catch his breath and waiting for the ringing in his ears to subside. He sat up carefully inspecting himself and his weapons.

Both his handgun and the assault rifle were intact, as were his flashlight and radio, which he had expected one or both to have smashed in the fall. He was on all fours when the elevator landed so his wrists were throbbing but he knew that would subside, it was his knees that had took most of the impact. He bent his left leg gingerly and felt a twinge but he knew it was nothing serious. When Alex bent his right leg however, pain shot through his knee like a bullet and it was all he could do not to scream out in agony. He slowly lifted up his trouser leg which had been torn open at the knee and his heart sank when he saw the full extent of his injury. At least one layer of skin had been scraped off his knee and it was bleeding rather heavily, and there was severe bruising and swelling around the injured area, causing a throbbing pain to join the stabbing pain that was caused by the tear.

He knew he had to stop the bleeding so he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out a roll of bandages he had taken with him from Annie's Bar, just before his encounter with James and the chilling message he'd left on the door for him. He pushed that thought out of his mind and focussed on the task at hand. He dressed his wound up as best he could which was agony in itself and after about five exhausting minutes, he managed to get himself on to his feet. Just the effort and pain of getting up made Alex dizzy and short of breath so he had to take a moment to steady himself. He got himself out of the shaft through a set of doors and found himself in a short corridor with a single door at the end. Was that the entrance to the labyrinth?

He began to slowly limp towards the door with his handgun at the ready and found that even putting the slightest bit of weight on his bad leg sent a flare of pain shooting right through his body. This was going to slow him down tremendously and this made Alex irritated beyond belief. He couldn't afford to be slowed down now! Not at such a crucial moment, not with James _and _Pyramid Head stalking him. He gritted his teeth together and tested how much weight he could actually take without feeling like he was going to pass out. It wasn't a great deal but now he knew how much his knee could handle should he need to get away fast. He made sure his radio and his flashlight were both on. He made sure his gun was fully loaded and armed. He wiped the sweat from his forehead and tried to focus as best he could.

He opened the door and stepped into the labyrinth.

XXX

Alex didn't know what to expect when he stepped into the labyrinth, the place where the red demon dwelled. The word labyrinth conjured up an image in his mind of a rat in a maze full of sterile white walls, being observed and monitored whilst trying to find the treat at the other end. This was quite the opposite and surprisingly normal, which, in a place like this, made it even more bizarre. The corridor he was standing in was quite narrow, barely wide enough to fit two people in standing side by side. The walls were covered with what used to be white wallpaper, but now turned grey by the thick layers of dirt and grime covering it. The paper was peeling and torn in various places. The floor was wooden and again, smeared with filth and dirty footprints that Alex didn't know, and didn't want to know, what they belonged to.

He knew that neither pictures nor any sign of a human touch would be gracing these twisting and turning corridors any time soon, that everything would continue to look exactly the same as the last corridor so he was going to have to be very careful not to get completely lost.

With his flashlight illuminating the way before him, it wasn't long before static began to seep out of his radio and he encountered a Patient Demon stalking the hallways, looking for a victim to burn alive with its deadly acid. Alex took aim and shot it point blank in the head. He gave it a good kick when it was down just to make sure it was really dead. It was and he continued on, trying to commit to memory which way he had came.

He didn't have any idea of which way he was going and hoped he wouldn't have to go through too many doors and down too many corridors to find Toby and William, if they were even still alive. He hoped against all hope that they were. He thought of Bill and Iris and Toby's mother, what they would all be going through, how much the pain would intensify and the dread would continue to grow with each passing day of their children not being found. He wondered if anybody had noticed that Alex himself had gone missing.

He'd been gone for around three days now, almost four if he was going to make it to see morning. He remembered how James had told him that he'd found him in the asylum where Fox had taken him because he'd overheard Officer Stanton on his radio, telling his men to follow him to Alex's position, just before he'd nearly strangled the life out of him. The police must have known that Dr Fox had taken Alex against his will, and they would have gotten to the asylum after James no doubt, too late to find Alex but not too late to find Fox and his men and whoever else they were torturing in there hopefully. If that was the case and Fox had been arrested, would he tell the police about why he had taken Alex? Alex felt sick at the thought. If the insane doctor talked, he would reveal everything about Alex's past that he had tried to keep hidden. And the worst thing of all, he might even tell the police about Silent Hill.

Alex had gone missing the day after William had, if the police uncovered his past from Fox and even Silent Hill, the police might get the wrong idea. _They could think that I have taken those kids and disappeared. _Alex's mind began to work overtime. If he did manage to find Toby and William and go one step further and actually get them back to Oakley alive, how was he going to explain where he'd found them in the first place? Stanton and the police where a lot less likely to believe that a demon carrying a great knife and a pyramid in place of a head had taken them than Alex himself, a man with a tragic past and quite a lot of secrets. He shook his head and tried to focus. He couldn't think about that now, he couldn't think that far ahead. He needed to find the kids and get the hell out; he'd have to think about the consequences later.

He came to an intersection that ran both left and right, and at the end of each corridor was a ladder leading down. He decided to go left and he peered precariously over the edge. The drop was a few feet at best and Alex could see the bottom. It looked very similar to the hallways he was standing in now; only instead of peeling wallpaper covering the walls it was grey, dried cement. He put his gun in the back of his waistband and made his way cautiously down the ladder. He winced as his knee flared up and he was out of breath from the pain by the time he reached the bottom. He saw that a few feet in front of him the solid floor gave way from being covered in wood to rusting metal grating. He just hoped it would hold his weight.

Alex headed left and stepped on to the grating and as soon as he did so, static began to hiss from his radio. He held out his gun in front of him expecting to be ambushed at any moment by a Patient Demon or something far worse but there was not a creature to be seen. Static still began to hiss softly and he let out a yelp of surprise when he heard a loud bang beneath him and the metal grating began to shake. Alex looked down sharply and was horrified to see something hanging on to the underside of the grating and was following his every step, swinging from limb to limb like some twisted game on the monkey bars. He couldn't fully see what the creature was, it was obscured by the darkness but he didn't stick around to find out. He limped as fast as he could around the corner, and made a sharp left, relieved to find himself on wooden flooring once again.

The thing that was following him swung away and the static faded along with the creature. Alex found himself in a short corridor with a door at the end. He began to limp towards it but stopped dead when he heard a faint whimpering. Alex listened intently, not daring to move or even breathe. Did he just imagine what sounded like a child crying? He strained to hear into the ever stretching silence and after a few seconds he heard it again, more loudly this time. It was definitely a child sobbing. Could it be Toby or William? Or could it be James or Pyramid Head playing a cruel joke on him? Baiting him to come running right into some sort of trap they had laid out for him?

He moved along as silently as he could towards the door and the crying got louder. It was coming from the other side. Alex's heart began to pound and he dared himself just a glimmer of hope. The thing he was dreading the most was finding one or both of the kid's lifeless bodies or not finding them at all. If they were alive, if he could save just one of them, then all of this will have been for something. He tightened his finger on the trigger, knowing that if one or both of the kids were in there, anything else could be too.

He approached the door and took hold of the metal handle, keeping his gun steady in his other hand. He began to turn the handle downwards, praying the door wasn't locked but stopped when he heard a terrified voice from within whimpering, a voice that no doubt belonged to a child.

"No, please, go away! I promise I'll be good this time, just leave me alone!" The child began to sob uncontrollably and Alex took a chance. He wrenched the handle downwards and flew into the room, his gun aimed out steady in front of him.

He cursed the change in light conditions and tried to adjust his eyes as quickly as he could, expecting a knife or a claw to try and rip his head off at any moment. Nothing came to attack him however but the sight he saw before him was far worse than what he was expecting.

He was in a small room that he knew must be where Pyramid Head spent most of his time. A metal fan hung from the ceiling and made a soft whirring sound overhead as it spun. To Alex's right on a small table that was stained with blood laid all sorts of metal medical instruments which were also stained with the substance and the thing that indicated this was in fact Pyramid Head's quarters, the great knife was also lying on the table next to them. _Did the bastard have more than one of these things? Or was he roaming the streets with some other deadly weapon now? _He didn't even consider taking it for a weapon for himself, he probably wouldn't be able to lift the thing let alone use it.

The walls and floor were also covered in blood but the thing that disturbed Alex most about this macabre sight was what he saw when he looked above him.

Hanging from the ceiling in metal cages which looked to be made from bed frames, were dead bodies. They were hanging from their feet and were so decomposed, it was all Alex could do not to throw up on the spot from the overwhelming stench they produced. He didn't even want to think about how long they had been there for. Their skin was so rotten and haggard that Alex couldn't tell whether they had been male or female. But the thing that disturbed him most about the poor people, who would never return home to their loved ones, was the fact that they had been sliced open on multiple parts of their mutilated bodies and had been stitched back together again. _What the hell did Pyramid Head do to them? _He just hoped to god that the sadistic operation took place after the victims were dead, but he didn't have much confidence in that possibility.

He was brought back to reality when he heard a terrified whimper behind him and remembered why he'd burst into the room in the first place. Sitting in a corner of the room, hugging his knees and trembling uncontrollably was a little boy. He had sandy coloured hair and was wearing a ripped yellow t-shirt, blue shorts and Alex noticed he only had one shoe on. It was Toby Griffiths. Alex felt an overwhelming sense of relief sweep over him, he had found him alive! He didn't seem to be damaged physically from what Alex could tell, although whether his psychological state was still completely sound was yet to be discovered. But he was alive, and Alex felt an even stronger desire to get out of Silent Hill, so strong it was almost suffocating. But one thought kept pushing at him, where was William?

He put his gun away and knelt down in front of Toby, gritting his teeth hard against the pain in his knee. Toby shied away even more and squeezed his eyes shut. Alex felt a deep pang of sympathy and something else, guilt maybe? Yes, guilt. Toby would have never been taken if Pyramid Head didn't want Alex back in Silent Hill for whatever reason. But he knew he wasn't responsible, it was that monster that was to blame, but he still felt like shit anyway just looking at the poor kid who had probably seen the most unimaginable horrors kids his age should only have nightmares about. He knew he had to be gentle.

"Toby," Alex began in the most soothing tone he could muster. "It's alright Toby; I'm not going to hurt you. I'm here to take you home."

Toby looked up at him with big blue eyes filled with fear, wanting to believe this stranger with the gun but also fearing to as well.

"Home?" he choked out, in a voice so small and defenceless Alex thought his heart might break.

"Yes, back to Oakley. I live there too, my name is Alex Shepherd. I know who took you Toby and we're going to get out of here. You have to trust me okay?"

"You know who took me? You believe in the bogey man too?"

Alex knew that the bogey man must be Pyramid Head. That Toby had given him this name because the bogey man was every child's worst fear and the red demon embodied everything that every kid imagined about the man who lurked in the shadows. Any other time Alex would have said he didn't believe in the bogey man, but now, he couldn't be more firm in his beliefs.

"Yes I do Toby, he's real isn't he? Did he hurt you?"

Toby began to tremble even more, and shut his eyes tight again, as if trying to block out the images he was seeing in his head.

"N-no, but he – he bought things back here, monsters and he d-did things to them... he," Toby let out a choked sob and covered his ears and Alex knew he was hearing the images as well as seeing them.

Alex felt a blaze of anger flare up inside of him and had an overwhelming desire to murder Pyramid Head, a desire that consumed his fear of the demon completely and just left a fire of rage burning in his stomach. Toby would be mentally scarred for life after seeing the horrific things he'd never be able to un-see. He would never be able to be a child again, he would constantly be haunted by nightmares, by the images Pyramid Head subjected him to in this very room. He'd constantly have to sleep with the light on and would forever be hiding in his bed whilst the other children would play outside carefree and innocent. Pyramid Head had robbed him of all of that and Alex vowed to get Toby back to his mother and Oakley, even if it meant his life.

"It's alright Toby," said Alex, gently taking hold of his hands and taking them away from his ears so he could hear what Alex was telling him. "He's gone now, he won't hurt you anymore."

"He'll back though!" cried the child in a shrill voice that was filled with fear. "He'll be back for me, he's been gone for ages now, and he'll be back soon! I – I wish William was here."

_William! _Alex had been so caught up in trying to get Toby to communicate that he'd momentarily forgotten about William. If he was here previously, why had he been taken? And by whom?

"William was here with you? I know William well Toby, who took him?"

Toby looked up at Alex and in a hushed voice, as if the walls were listening, he whispered, "The white ghost took him away."

Alex was confused at first. White ghost? He'd seen some terrible beasts in Silent Hill but no ghosts, no spirits or phantoms. That's when he realised and fear gripped his heart with a bruising force. The pale ghostly skin, the silver hair and those pearly white teeth smiling that awful smile of his. James.

James had taken William and Alex was filled with panic and despair. Pyramid Head had not hurt Toby because he'd stuck to his end of the deal; it was Alex he wanted, not the kid. He may be an evil sadistic bastard but he had a calculated calm to him that was terrifying, yet a blessing in Toby's circumstance. But James was reckless and animalistic whose lust for blood would soon devour any rational thinking part of his brain he had left. He could have already killed William in the worst way imaginable, and that thought was too much for Alex to bear that he simply could not make himself believe it. William had to be alive, but if he was, it was only a matter of time before James got bored and did the unthinkable, which left Alex with very little time.

"Where did the white ghost take William Toby?" Alex asked, trying to keep the panic out of his voice.

"He – he told me where he was going when he dragged William away." Toby closed his eyes trying to remember what James had said. Alex was trying to keep his dwindling patience under control as another minute passed but it was clear Toby wanted to get the words exact. Finally he opened his eyes and spoke.

"If Alex comes for you tell him me and William are waiting for him at mine and Mary's special place. The Lakeview Hotel."

Alex had never been to the Lakeview Hotel but based on the name it must be overlooking the lake, Toluca Lake to be exact and the Historical Society from which he had came to get to the Labyrinth was also near to the lake. He knew he must be close to the hotel but how the hell was he going to get out? He dreaded to think how deep he was underground and there was no way he could retrace his route he'd used to get here, the holes he'd jumped down would see to that. There had to be another way out and Alex had to find it, and fast.

He was distracted by a muffled bang somewhere nearby and realised that at any moment Pyramid Head could come back and then the game would be over. He still had an overwhelming desire to kill the bastard but he had Toby and William to think about right now, and his knee wouldn't help matters should it come to a confrontation. He just needed to put as much distance between himself and the red demon, just enough so he could find William and get Toby away safely.

"Toby we have to leave now," said Alex, struggling to get up on his bad leg but getting up all the same.

Toby looked up at him with terrified eyes. "We can't go out there! There are monsters out there!" he cried.

"Listen Toby, I won't let them hurt you I promise. If we stay here you know he's going to come back. But we can leave now and I can take you back home to your mother, you have to be brave now so you can see her again." Alex held out his hand and Toby stared at it, then at Alex.

"You promise you won't let the bogey man take me? You cross your heart?" he asked.

Alex saw so much of Josh in Toby at that very moment. The innocence, the child like fear that everyone experiences and the fact that he was looking to Alex for protection. Alex couldn't protect Josh, he couldn't save him but he would protect Toby and he would save William, he had to. Alex knew he had to keep his promise, no matter what the cost.

"I cross my heart and hope to die," he said solemnly.

Toby took Alex's hand and got to his feet, his legs shaking but he was holding himself together.

"Now no matter what happens from this point, you always stay right behind me okay? Don't run unless I tell you to, even if there are monsters because I won't let them hurt you. Just stay with me and be brave and we'll get out of this just fine okay?" Alex tried not to doubt his own words, he kept repeating the promise he'd just made over and over in his head.

Toby nodded and Alex took out his handgun and made his way to the door, the kid close behind. He opened the door slowly, convinced Pyramid Head was going to be standing on the other side having just been listening to every single word but the way was clear for now and his radio remained silent.

They made their way to the intersection and Alex turned right, backtracking the way he'd come. Static began to creep out of his radio when they stepped on to the metal grating and the hanging creature was back. Alex realised that they couldn't do any damage as long as they kept moving. Toby made a distressed sound behind him at the sight of the monster but he kept moving too, remembering what Alex had told him. They made their way swiftly around the corner and back on to solid ground, the static fading once more as the creature swung away. Alex looked up at the ladder from which he'd come down and made a decision.

"Toby, I'm just going to climb up and look over the top to see if the coast is clear okay? I'll come back down for you and we can get out of here."

Toby nodded and Alex began to climb slowly, trying to ignore the pain in his knee. He peeked over the top and was relieved to find the corridor from which he'd previously came deserted for the moment. He was about to climb back down when static burst from his radio in a sharp hiss. He looked back over the top at the hallways but it still remained empty. He snapped his head back around to look behind him but those hallways were deserted too. Was the hanging creature back? Was that the cause for the static that was still hissing from his radio? Whatever it was, he didn't want to wait around to meet it. He turned back around and began to climb back down when he heard Toby's cry of terror.

"Alex! Alex hurry!" he screamed.

Alex spun his head around and his blood ran cold when he saw the tip of a pyramid emerging from around the corner. He knew he didn't have a second to lose. He skipped the last few rungs of the ladder and dropped down sending a flare of agony through his knee. He tried his best to ignore it and grabbed Toby by the waist and hoisted him as far up the ladder as he could reach. Toby grabbed on and began to climb.

"Wait for me at the top!" shouted Alex. He didn't want Toby running into a Patient Demon up there without him.

Pyramid Head was at the end of the corridor now and was fixated on Alex. Alex also saw that the weapon he'd chosen to carry instead of his great knife was a long, sharp spear and he was beyond dismayed to realise that without the heavy knife dragging him down he could move a lot faster. The great pyramid on his head still slowed him down somewhat but he was still too fast for Alex's liking. He fired off a few shots at the monsters torso but it barely managed to have an effect, Pyramid Head was advancing quickly. Alex debated about using the rifle but in such close quarters he would only be able to get off a few shots before he was in range of that deadly long spear. He would be skewered before he knew it and then Toby would be left alone to the horrors of this town and William would be left in James's clutches.

Alex put aside his desire to kill Pyramid Head and thought about why he'd come here in the first place. He put his gun away and spun around and began to climb the ladder. He was about halfway up when he felt a pull on his leg, his injured leg and let out a scream of agony when he felt the wound open up on his knee and could feel the bandage being soaked in fresh blood. He felt light headed and dizzy and when he felt the pull on his leg once more, the pain was so blinding that he lost his grip on the ladder and went crashing to the ground. He saw the anguished face of Toby at the top, looking on in despair.

He felt a pull on the lapels of his coat and was hoisted to his feet and slammed into the wall beside him, Pyramid Head's hand around his neck, the other clutching his spear. _This is it, _Alex thought in despair. _He's going to stick that spear right through my heart and those kids will perish. _He looked around desperately trying to think of a way out of the situation, trying to still the rapid beating of his heart and think clearly but the pain is his knee was making it hard to focus.

"_Clever boy Alex," _whispered Pyramid Head in that deadly calm voice of his. _"You found him."_

The hand around Alex's neck tightened a little more and he struggled to breathe, willing the fuzziness in his head to clear. He couldn't think straight, he needed more time.

"Just tell me... what you want," Alex choked out, his voice raspy and harsh. "I'm here, you – you've got me, now let the kid go."

Pyramid Head leaned in a little closer and ran the tip of his spear down the wound on Alex's cheek that he had gotten in Brookhaven Hospital with his last terrifying encounter of the red demon. The wound reopened and fresh blood began to flow making Alex wince in pain.

"_What I want Alex... is for you to stay here with me. For you to become me... to become the darkness." _He ran a gloved thumb over the wound, spreading the blood over Alex's cheek.

Alex didn't have a clue what the bastard was talking about. He understood the 'stay with me' part terrifyingly well; it was the 'become me' part that confused him. Did he want to turn Alex into a similar abomination that he had turned James into? Somehow he didn't think so. He chose James for that because he already had the black cloud forming in his mind, the darkness was consuming him so he was the perfect choice. Alex had to admit that his own mind and conscience weren't completely pure. He was not free of guilt or blame, he thought of Josh. Nor was he free of anger and hatred, he thought of his father. But he wasn't like James, he was nothing like him and he'd rather die than become what James had become, roaming the streets of Silent Hill without a soul. Never to return to those he loved.

Alex knew he was running out of time, he had to think of something and quickly. Before Pyramid Head killed him or James got impatient at the Lakeview Hotel and killed William.

"Okay," whispered Alex. "I'll stay with you, but you let the kid go!"

Pyramid Head looked at Toby who was still watching the whole exchange from the top of the ladder, almost in tears at the fact that he was about to be abandoned. For one terrifying moment Alex thought that Pyramid Head was going to throw his spear like a javelin right at Toby and end his life there and then, but the monster turned back to Alex.

"_The child can live... I will let him fend for himself... and you will stay with me."_

"He won't last five minutes out there by himself! Send him back to the real world and his family!" shouted Alex as loud as the hand around his throat would allow.

Pyramid Head tightened his grip causing black spots to dance in front of Alex's eyes. "_You don't make demands Alex... When I'm certain you're not going anywhere I will send him back... Until then, he's on his own... Understand?"_

It was the best Alex could hope for. At least Toby would be alive long enough for Alex to come up with a plan on how the hell he was going to get out of this. But he had to think of one soon, preferably in the next two minutes, before Pyramid Head got him back into that blood stained room with the bodies hanging from the ceiling.

"Alright, I understand. I'll come with you... I'll do whatever you want."

Pyramid Head chuckled, _"Yes you will Alex... and you can start by going back to the room... I want you to walk backwards, facing me... Hands up."_

He released his grip on Alex and he stumbled from the wall, trying his best to walk backwards and not trip over. He had his hands in the air and Pyramid Head walking in front of him, his spear held out ready to be put to use should Alex try anything. Alex could see Toby over Pyramid Head's shoulder, watching helplessly, fear and anger at being left alone in his eyes.

Alex continued his slow pace backwards, his knee paining every step he took. The static in his radio got louder as they both stepped on to the metal grating, the hanging creature back to play monkey bars once again, but as soon as it sensed Pyramid Head, it swung away and the static died again.

Alex sensed they should be nearing the end of the grating soon, that solid wooden floor should be underfoot at any moment. He risked turning his head and looking behind him under the pretence of just checking that he wasn't going to bash into anything or trip over. He was right; he was about two steps away from the wooden floor. He had to get the timing perfect or it would all be over, he would be dead in an instant and so would Toby and William. It was now or never, he only had a tiny window of opportunity and he seized it with everything he had.

He braced himself against the pain that this would cause his knee and acted. He _threw _himself backwards so fast before Pyramid Head had time to retaliate. He landed on the wooden flooring with a hard thump on his backside, out of range for the moment of the red demon's deadly spear. He saw Pyramid Head begin to register what had happened and could see the monster begin to physically shake with rage at being tricked. This spurred Alex on faster; his fear of what would be done to him should Pyramid Head catch him driving him forward. He wrenched his handgun from the back of his waistband and took aim, knowing that he couldn't afford to miss a single shot.

He shot four times in front of him, not aiming for Pyramid Head at all this time but at the metal grating on the ground. He didn't miss his targets and Pyramid Head knew this. The grating began to shudder and groan, the screws that Alex had just shot at coming loose causing the metal to give way. Pyramid Head gave a huge cry of fury before plummeting into whatever lay below, and when Alex heard the splash he knew it must be water. He was panting heavily and shaking with relief that his plan that he was certain wasn't going to work had just come together.

He dared himself to look over the edge and down below but all he could see was darkness. Would the fall have killed the red demon? Or was he on his feet now, coming back to get Alex with a vengeance? Alex didn't want to stick around to find out. He also knew that he'd opened the only barrier that was protecting him from the hanging creature and he didn't want to wait around to meet that either. He got to his feet and knew he had to find another way back to the ladder where he hoped Toby was still waiting for him.

He followed the corridor round, going past the blood stained room where Pyramid Head dwelled and around another corner. He went past a ladder that he knew wasn't the one he had came down and carried on. The corridor seemed to go around in a complete circle, the red demon's room being in the middle. Finally he came back to the ladder he was looking for but Toby wasn't at the top of it. Alex's stomach dropped and he just hoped to god he hadn't gotten far. He was moving toward the ladder when he heard a cry of fear that he knew must be Toby. He threw himself at the ladder and flew up it, forgetting the pain in his knee and the throbbing in his temples. Forgetting everything but the kid.

He reached the top and saw Toby a few feet in front of him, with a Patient Demon getting ready to shower him with acid. Alex took out his gun and the creature was on the ground with a bullet in its head before Toby even had a chance to turn around. Alex put his gun away and the boy turned to face him.

"You left me," he said, in a voice full of hurt.

"I had to Toby, just for a second or he would have killed us both. I came back though didn't I? I promised I wouldn't let the bogey man get you and I mean it okay?"

"... Is he dead?" asked Toby.

"I don't know. He's gone for now though, so we have to get moving. Come on, remember to stay behind me."

Alex started down the corridors and he felt Toby holding on to the back of his coat, knowing that the kid did believe him about keeping his promise.

He didn't have a clue where he was going. He just knew he needed to get out and to the Lakeview Hotel as quickly as possible. James had called it, "him and Mary's special place." Did that mean that this new monstrous form he had taken on still had memories of the person he used to be? If he could remember his wife, and where they used to go together, was the old James still in there somewhere? Was it possible that he wasn't doomed to the horrific fate of living out his days as a monster roaming the fog filled streets and the pitch black nights? That there was still a chance to save him?

Alex shook his head. He couldn't afford to think like that. He couldn't see James as another person to be saved; he had to see him for what he truly was now which was a monster that would kill and enjoy it. He remembered what he did to the Order member who'd called himself John Wayne back in Dargento Cemetery. How he'd ripped out his throat with his bare teeth and how he'd killed the other Order member in the prison too. But he also remembered how James had tried desperately to pull Alex out of Pyramid Head's clutches at Brookhaven Hospital when he was being dragged into the day room. And he also remembered how James had come to his rescue and had saved him when he could have just left him there at the monster's mercy.

Alex thoughts began to conflict but he forced himself to think of William. The old James was gone now, and he'd made a promise to him that when the inevitable happened and James did give into the darkness that he would kill him. Alex thought of Bill and Iris, suffering for their lost son. He thought of William, terrified and alone.

He would keep his promise to the James that once was. He would find William, and he would kill the monster that James had become. He thought of his brother that he failed to protect. He felt Toby hanging on to his coat behind him, counting on him for so much. He thought of William who just wanted to be home with his family. He began to walk faster, desperately searching for a way out. He thought of Pyramid Head who would be chasing him and James who would be waiting for him.

He was running out of time.


	14. Chapter 13: Part II

Title: Drag Them Into Hell  
Author: HousethatJackBuilt

Rating: NC-17  
Warnings: Swearing, violence, gore, horror, slight slash *SPOILERS FOR SH5 AND SH2!*

Chapter Warnings: Strong language, violence.  
Pairing: None  
Disclaimer: I don't own Silent Hill or any of its characters or creations. All credit goes to the makers. I am not making any money off this story.  
Author's Note: **Well this is it everybody, the FINAL CHAPTER! The story is finally finished! I can't believe this has taken me almost two years to complete but I am very proud of it and thankful that all of you have stuck with it and me. I probably won't be writing anymore fanfiction for a while as I'm going to make a start on a completely original story and see where it can take me. But I just want to say it has been so much fun writing and sharing this story with you and I thank you all so much for all of your reads, reviews and kind words. If you have any questions about the fic or anything just drop me a PM. So, for the last time, here is the final chapter of Drag Them Into Hell. I hope you all enjoy it and I hope it was worth waiting for, I sincerely enjoyed writing it. Thanks again guys!**

Summary: It's been five months since Alex Shepherd left Silent Hill and he is trying to rebuild his life. Things are going well until children start to go missing from his hometown and he hears voices calling him back to Silent Hill. James Sunderland is still in Silent Hill, continuously being tormented. His spirit is faltering and he is growing weaker by the day, considering suicide daily. Pyramid Head won't allow James to leave and wants Alex to come home. You cannot escape who you are.

_So do not cry aloud at night, stay hidden in your bed...  
Or the Bogeyman from Silent Hill will come chop off your head._

Part II

Alex had lost count of how many corners he'd turned, how many times he'd backtracked and gotten lost and how many Patient Demons he had given the gift of a bullet to. But he knew he was getting nowhere and his fear was beginning to grow with each wrong turn and each bit of distinguishable piece of peeling wallpaper or chipped concrete that told him he had been here before. He now knew why this god forsaken place was called the labyrinth. Now he really did feel like a rat trapped in a maze.

He and Toby had been stumbling around in the dark for what seemed like hours to Alex but it could have been any length of time really. Despite the place being infuriatingly similar and both of them getting lost on a number of occasions, Alex kind of had a sense of the layout of the place by now.

The corridors with the peeling wallpaper and the wooden floors where the upper levels of the labyrinth and each section of the upper level had a ladder somewhere leading down to the lower levels, which Alex hated more than the upper ones. At least with the upper levels he could actually see where he was walking and was on solid ground, the lower levels contained ankle deep murky water which obscured the floors of the lower level and the walls were made of brown and muddy concrete. It reminded Alex of a sewer.

The cloudy water presented multiple difficulties like slowing down his movement considerably. Also it alerted whatever beasts may be nearby that he was coming due to the _slosh, slosh _sound of his and Toby's footsteps wading through the water and worst of all, not knowing what could be lurking underneath it. He'd already had to save Toby from being dragged under and drowned by a Patient Demon that had snuck up behind them after they'd bypassed it because it was lying low just beneath the water level. If Toby hadn't been behind him watching their backs, they both would have been burned alive by its deadly acid.

Now once again, Alex and Toby found themselves trudging through the dangerous water with no sense of direction and Alex had never missed a pen and a piece of paper so much in his life, just so he could of drew a map and kept track of where they were going. He was becoming increasingly anxious for William, himself and Toby. He was anxious for William because he knew he was with James and must be terrified and that his life could be ripped away from him at any moment, as soon as James got bored and tired of waiting for Alex. He was also anxious for himself and the kid because he knew that Pyramid Head was still down here somewhere, and not knowing where or when he was going to appear was making him very agitated and jumpy.

Alex knew that fall couldn't have put an end to the red demon. The time it took for him to hear the splashing sound that meant Pyramid Head had reached the bottom wasn't long enough for the drop to be deadly. He would be out there now, maybe stalking some other part of the lower or upper level, still with his spear in hand. Only now he would be driven by a burning rage, along with whatever the other desire was to trap Alex. He would be furious that he had been tricked and that Alex had escaped his clutches when he had been trying for so long to ensnare him. That thought made Alex unbelievably edgy and with every corner he turned he silently prayed that he wouldn't find his tormentor waiting for him.

"How much farther Alex?" whispered Toby, his voice echoing in the hollow cave-like corridors.

"Not long," replied Alex. "We'll be out soon." He tried to sound confident even though he didn't believe a word of what he was saying himself and he was pretty certain that Toby didn't either.

The beam from the flashlight reflected off the murky water giving it a golden like glow, as if they were walking on a yellow brick road. Only there were far worse things down here than lions and tigers and bears. And the thing that would be waiting for them if they ever got out wouldn't be a beautiful shining Emerald City; it would be horror, uncertainty and possibly death with a very slim chance of getting their wish of going home back to Oakley.

Alex could just make out a ladder up ahead and began to limp towards it. He had dressed the injury on his knee yet again after his encounter with the red demon but Pyramid Head had reopened the wound when he had pulled on his leg and the bleeding was more severe than ever, as was the pain and it was slowing him down even more now. Even the slightest pressure on his knee would cause him agony and climbing ladders was a huge effort in itself. Alex didn't even know how he was going to face James or Pyramid Head should it come to that; he knew he was in no physical condition to do so. The past few days of being in Silent Hill with no sleep, very little food and hardly any water was taking its toll on him. He didn't know how much longer he could hold out.

They made it to the ladder without encountering any demons, patient or red and Alex began the agonising climb to the top, reminding Toby to keep an eye out behind them should anything try to ambush their small party of two. He made it up feeling lightheaded and dizzy and got his breath back as Toby was climbing up to join him.

At the top they both made their way through a door, Toby hanging on to the back of Alex's coat and staying close, and found themselves in yet another corridor on the upper level. They made their way slowly forward, Alex holding his gun out in front of him as steady as he could. He had noticed since his last encounter with Pyramid Head, when the demon had pulled on his leg making his injury worse, his hands wouldn't stop shaking. He knew this was due to the pain and the fatigue he was suffering from and he wondered how much use, if any, he was going to be to William and Toby when and if he finally caught up with James.

They came to a door on the right of the corridor that was covered in newspaper pages. Most of them were illegible due to being smudged and ripped and as Alex was debating whether to open the door or not, a soft static began to hiss from his radio, indicating that whatever was in that room wasn't going to be friendly. Alex decided to leave it well alone and continued on down the sickeningly familiar hallways.

They made a left turn and came to another door. Alex's radio remained silent and he decided to take a chance with this one. Every doorway was a possible way out after all; he didn't have a clue where he was going and had to explore anything that could lead him to William.

He slowly turned the handle and opened the door just enough for him to be able to see inside, the beam from his flashlight pushing through the small gap and illuminating the room. Alex squinted his eyes; trying to adjust to the poor light and immediately wished he had left the door alone like he had with the previous newspaper covered one, when he saw what the room contained. Inside were six decomposing bodies hanging by their necks from nooses that were attached to the ceiling. They were hanging in two rows of three, all facing each other. Around the room ran a chain link fence, and beneath the bodies was a section of grated flooring, just like the one that Alex had used to trick Pyramid Head.

Alex didn't want Toby to see this, he had seen more than enough horrors whilst he had been here, but Alex did want to get a closer look at the bodies. Maybe there was something in that room that could lead him to William. He didn't see how, but he knew that those bodies weren't there for nothing. Everything in Silent Hill was here for a reason, nothing was coincidence and nothing was chance. He turned back to Toby.

"I'm just going to have a quick look inside this room okay? I want you to stay here with your back to me and keep a look out on the corridor. If you see anything coming you shout me. I'll leave the door open so I can see you all the time."

"What's in there?" asked Toby, his childlike curiosity still present.

"Bad things that I don't want you to see. So if you need me or see anything coming, just shout me, don't turn around and look in here okay?"

Toby nodded and Alex knew he wasn't going to need telling twice. He turned around and faced the corridor, keeping an eye out for any monsters that might decide to appear. Alex needed his flashlight to inspect the bodies and the room so he gave Toby his radio to make up for the lack of light out in the hallways. If anything decided to creep up on them, the static would alert them of any impending danger.

Alex went inside the room of the hanging men and left the door open so he could see Toby at all times. The closer he got to the corpses, the more powerful the stench became but Alex found he was building up a tolerance to it now after having seen quite a few bodies since he'd been here. He was grateful for the fact that he didn't feel vomit rising in his throat the closer he got, but it also frightened him that he was becoming desensitised to it all. It made him feel less human, as if this town was taking his humanity from him piece by piece.

These bodies weren't as badly decomposed as the ones in Pyramid Head's blood stained room and Alex could see that they were all male. He couldn't see their faces because they were each covered by a piece of paper with writing on it. Alex was grateful that he couldn't see their expressions of anguish. He already had enough faces haunting his dreams and he didn't need six more to add to the list. He inspected the pieces of paper one by one. Each piece indicated that every one of the hanging men had committed a crime and ended with the phrase, "_Justice and revenge have been served."_

Alex read each piece of paper and discovered what crimes the men had allegedly been hung for.

"_This man was hung for the crime of arson. Justice and revenge have been served."_

"_This man was hung for the crime of kidnapping."_

"_This man was hung for the crime of counterfeiting." _

"_This man was hung for the crime of thievery."_

"_This man was hung for the crime of murder."_

"_This man was hung for the crime of swindling."_

Alex didn't know what to make of this. These bodies and those notes were obviously there for a reason but he didn't think it had anything to with William, nor would it bring them any closer to finding him. He felt a pang of disappointment and frustration that he was no closer to getting out of this damned place and he may very well be back to square one again.

He limped back over to the door and took the radio from Toby, thankful that at least no monsters had decided to show up for the moment. He told Toby that he didn't find anything in the room and that they needed to keep going. Alex held out his gun once more, trying to stop his hands from shaking and his vision from blurring from time to time but he couldn't make either go away. His condition was deteriorating rapidly and he knew he was going to have some permanent damage if he didn't get medical attention soon. He just hoped he could keep going until they found William. He couldn't even think of a plan beyond that point, he just had to take things one step at a time.

They made a right, then a left and came to another door. Alex decided that he might as well try this one too, even though he didn't have much hope that it would lead to a way out of the labyrinth. The door was unlocked and his radio remained silent. He told Toby to keep watch again and gave him his radio to alert them of any monsters.

Alex entered the room, the beam from his flashlight chasing away the shadows. It was exactly the same as the room with the hanging men. A chain link fence ran around the room, there was metal grating underfoot but the only difference was this time there were no hanging men, just empty nooses. All empty except one, and when Alex saw what one of the nooses contained his heart began to thud. Hanging from one of the nooses, the one where the kidnapper hung in the previous room if Alex was remembering correctly was a pink bunny rabbit doll. The exact same one that Josh used to have and the exact same one that William had now.

When Alex got closer his flashlight illuminated the label and he saw what was written on it: _William Oldman, Oakley. _It was William's doll. The very same one he had shown to Alex when he had came home from taking King the park. The very same one that William had said the man in the gutter had given him. Did that mean that William had been here? Or was it James playing another sick joke on him, purposely placing the doll in the kidnappers noose? Alex looked around for more clues or an indication that William had in fact been here and noticed a sign on the chain link fence behind him that he didn't see before. He got closer and held up his flashlight and read the inscription. It was a poem.

_"Dead men, dead men, swinging in a tree  
How many dead men do you see?  
Tongue turned blue and face gone grey  
Watch them as they twist and sway_

_The first one killed the butcher man_  
_Then cooked him in the frying pan_  
_Served him to his hungry guests_  
_And gave them seconds on request_

_The next one with his smile and sweets_  
_Stole poor children off the streets_  
_To men who dressed unsavory_  
_He sold them into slavery_

_Breaking into home at night_  
_The thief he had a nasty fright_  
_Filled his foolish head with ale_  
_Woke in the morn in the county jail_

_The artist with his daunting skill_  
_Tried his hand at painting bills_  
_But caught in rain he was undone_  
_When the ink he's use did start to run_

_With promises of great return_  
_Taking gold he did not earn_  
_Bundled it up out of sight_  
_Quietly slipped off into night_

_Three houses into ashes burned_  
_The sheriff with no place to turn_  
_Did spy a stranger to his town_  
_Locked him up and beat him down_

_Dead men, dead men, swinging in a tree_  
_How many dead men do you see?_  
_Six feet long and six men wide_  
_Round their necks the noose be tied."_

Alex knew that this was some kind of riddle and the answer hit him almost instantly. When he was a child he loved to read riddles and try to find the solution. He would sit there for hours on end solving one after the other, challenging Josh to solve one before him but he never could. Alex just had a knack for solving them quicker than most people and this one was exactly the same. One of the hanging men was innocent and it was the arsonist.

"_Three houses into ashes burned  
The sheriff with no place to turn  
Did spy a stranger to his town  
Locked him up and beat him down"_

The sheriff couldn't find out who burned down the three houses so he blamed it on a stranger who had came into his town and hanged him for it, an innocent man. So now that Alex had solved the riddle, what did it mean? He looked at the empty arsonist's noose then at the kidnapper's noose which held the pink rabbit. He didn't even want to remove the doll because it was in a guilty mans noose and Alex had a feeling that nothing good would come out of touching it. If it was placed there by James Alex knew it had to be some kind of trick.

He stepped on to the metal grating and went over to the innocent mans noose who had been hung for arson. He prayed that something would come out of this that would help him get out of here and find William. He was about to pull on the noose when he heard Toby shout behind him.

"That's William's doll!" He came running into the room and over to the noose where the bunny rabbit hung. "We should give it back to him!"

He began to reach up, his fingers touching the rabbit's leg.

Alex watched with horror and dread. He began to shout out to Toby, "No! Toby don't –"

But he was too late. Toby's fingers had already curled around the dolls leg and he was pulling it downwards, trying to free it from the noose. The doll came free and as the noose was pulled down there was a loud clicking sound. Alex felt the metal grating begin to shake beneath his and Toby's feet, and before he could even act on what he knew was about to happen, the grating fell inwards and Alex and Toby began to fall.

He heard Toby's screams and his own rapid heartbeat and Alex wondered if his luck was about to run out, and if this fall was going to be his last.

* * *

Alex vaguely remembered falling down a series of slopes and shoots, most of them with cascading water running down them. He remembered trying to hold on to something, trying to find something he could grab to stop himself from falling any deeper but the slopes were too slippery with water and he was falling too fast. He remembered hearing Toby's screams echoing up and around him and he remembered falling into waist high water at the bottom. After that he remembered nothing.

He awoke to find himself underwater. When he opened his eyes he couldn't see a thing and immediately began to panic. Water filled his nostrils and stung his eyes and he inhaled a lung full of the murky stuff causing fear to drive him forward and push him up and through the surface. He came up coughing and spluttering, trying to get his breath back and not to be sick. When he had composed himself and had brought up as much of the water as he could Alex could feel that he was standing in water that came up to his waist.

He couldn't see a thing and realised with fear that his flashlight must be under the water and therefore useless. The same could probably be said for his radio. He still had his handgun and his rifle however and thought that they should still be in working order as they hadn't been submerged under the water for long. That's when the sickening thought hit him that he was missing someone.

"Toby? Toby can you hear me?" Alex cried out in to the darkness.

His voice echoed off the walls and he knew that he must be in a similar tunnel to the ones in the lower levels of the labyrinth. Although the water was deeper here so he guessed he might even be further underground and that thought made his breathing a little more shallow.

Not a single sound indicated that Toby was nearby. He couldn't have fallen far from where Alex had landed; they were standing pretty close together when the metal grating gave way. Unless he was under the water unconscious just like Alex was when he'd landed. That thought spurred Alex in to action. He didn't care that he had no radio to alert him of any beasts that could be sneaking up on him in the darkness, he didn't care that he had no flashlight to hold back the shadows, all he cared about was finding Toby before he drowned.

Alex began feeling around under the water with his hands, desperately hoping to grab hold of a t-shirt, a shoe or an arm that would indicate that Toby was under there. He was about to give up hope and was certain that all the noise he was making was going to attract some unwanted attention very soon when his hand brushed something that felt like material. He grabbed hold of what he now knew was a t-shirt and hauled whoever was wearing it up to the surface and out of the water.

He held the small body in his arms and when it began to cough and splutter, he knew it was Toby and felt dizzy with relief. He felt Toby bring up mouthfuls of water and his body convulsed every time he tried to get his breath back but he was alive and that was all that mattered. He gave him a few minutes and asked if he was okay.

"I'm okay now," replied Toby in a breathless and raspy voice. "But the water is too deep Alex, I can't walk in it."

Alex knew that if it came up to his own waist, it must come up to Toby's neck so he hoisted him over his shoulder in a fireman's lift and began to wade through the water, bringing the rifle around to his front and holding his handgun in his free hand. Even though Toby weighed next to nothing, Alex was exhausted. The deep water didn't make things any easier and the cold was making his knee throb to a new painful level. He was also terrifyingly aware of how exposed they were like this with no flashlight and no radio, they were practically blind. Alex just tried to be as quiet as possible and rely on his senses as much as he could.

He wondered where they were. They were on the upper level of the labyrinth when they fell but he knew they hadn't simply fell down to the lower level. Somehow he sensed they were even further down than that. The water was deeper and the air was more thick and heavy and noises sounded more muffled. A horrifying realisation hit Alex that this could be the exact same place where Pyramid Head had fallen. He had also fallen through metal grating and Alex had heard a splash when he had landed. Panic began to seep into Alex's consciousness at the thought that the red demon could be lurking anywhere in the darkness.

He tried to move at a faster pace, sacrificing stealth for speed. He kept his shoulder to the wall so he knew when there was a turn and came to an intersection. He was about to turn left but stopped dead in his tracks when he saw what was advancing slowly but surely down the tunnel in his direction. He let out a strangled cry when he saw the spear, the bulging muscles under the blood stained apron and the horrifying pyramid, all illuminated by the dreadfully familiar crimson glow.

Pyramid Head saw Alex and stopped. Alex saw the demon's gloved webbed hand tighten around his spear and then the monster let out a terrifying, unearthly howl. Fear stabbed Alex through the heart and he heard Toby whimper over his shoulder, the boy not needing to see to know what was making that fearful cry. The red demon began to advance at once and Alex didn't need any other motivation. He turned on his heel and began to wade through the water as fast as he could in the opposite direction.

Toby could now see Pyramid Head behind them and began to tremble violently.

"Hurry Alex, he's getting closer!"

Alex tried to go as fast as he could, his heart hammering in his chest and his pulse pounding in his temples. He tried to ignore the blinding pain in his leg and the fact that if Pyramid Head was to throw that spear, it would all be over. He could hear the monsters footsteps behind him getting closer and could see the red glow begin to creep over the walls on either side of him. He prayed that he would find a way out soon and his teeth began to chatter.

He couldn't bear the thought of Toby getting killed at the hands of the beast that was getting ever closer and he knew that was his exact intention. Alex didn't think that Pyramid Head would kill him; he'd had so many chances to already. He'd kill the boy as punishment for tricking him earlier. He'd kill him in some unimaginable way, right in front of Alex's eyes and Alex really didn't think that he'd be able to keep hold of his sanity any longer if that were to happen.

He made a sharp right when he felt the wall turn and saw a small shaft of light up ahead at the other end of the tunnel. _Please be a way out, please! _He pushed himself forward feeling dizzy and his breath was coming out in heavy bursts.

"He's almost here Alex, please go faster!" cried Toby.

Alex risked a look behind him and saw that in a few more steps Pyramid Head's spear would be in range. He forgot his pain, exhaustion and fatigue for the moment and focussed on the shaft of light up ahead and forced himself to focus on only that. As he got closer he saw a ladder leading up to the light and Alex realised with rising hope that it was _daylight_. The ladder must lead to the outside, still in Silent Hill of course and he dreaded to think what part of the town he'd end up in, but still, he'd be out and he'd be able to track James down.

Alex reached the bottom of the ladder and saw that the small beams of light were coming from holes in a manhole cover that was at the top. He didn't think Toby would be able to push it up but he didn't want to go up the ladder first and leave him to follow. Alex put Toby down and told him to climb on his back quickly. Toby scrambled up and hooked his arms around Alex's neck.

"Don't let go of me," instructed Alex and he began to climb the ladder with Pyramid Head almost upon them.

His clothes were soaked through and were weighing him down. His leg was throbbing and his hands were slippery on the rungs but he forced himself to keep going because he knew death would be waiting at the bottom for both of them if he fell. He knew they'd be safe for the moment if they reached the outside. The red demon wouldn't be able to fit through the manhole with that huge pyramid. Alex reached the top and pushed the heavy manhole cover with all the strength he had left and he almost cried with relief when it began to move. He pushed it a few more times and a brilliant shaft of light rained down on them when he removed it completely.

His eyes stung from the drastic change in light conditions and he saw the fog swimming above him but it felt so good to be able to breathe fresh air again and after being underground for what felt like days to him, the air in Silent Hill felt like the freshest air he'd ever breathed in his life. He hoisted himself up through the hole with Toby still clinging to him and collapsed on the pavement just trying to get his breath back. Alex felt so tired he thought he would easily be able to fall asleep right there and then but Toby's voice brought him back to the matter at hand.

"Alex," he said, peering down into the hole from which they'd just come. "Put the cover back on, he's still down there."

Alex wasn't too concerned, he knew that huge pyramid of his would never make it through the small hole in the ground but he went over anyway to put the cover back on. Just before he was about to slide it back into place he risked a look down at the bottom to see if the red demon was still there. He was indeed and it took Alex a few seconds to realise what he was doing and when the realisation hit him, panic flared up in Alex once more. Pyramid Head was removing his helmet. Alex could see his muscles straining under the weight of trying to remove the thing.

Once he got that off of his shoulders he would become faster and more agile and he'd be able to follow them out here! Alex didn't waste another second; he slammed the cover back over the hole and got to his feet. He grabbed Toby by the hand and began to walk quickly through the fog, trying to look for some indication of where in Silent Hill they might be. As they were walking along Alex realised he could hear the sound of water to his right. He followed the noise and after a few minutes they came to the lake, Toluca Lake with a lone rowing boat just off to their left. Alex guessed they must have come out near the boat dock.

He knew they must be close to the Lakeview Hotel and this was their best chance of throwing off Pyramid Head. He got himself and Toby into the boat, took an oar in each hand and began to row, letting the fog swallow them and hide them from view. He didn't have a clue which direction the hotel was in and the fog didn't help matters, all he could do was keep rowing and hope that they'd find it sooner or later. James wasn't going to wait forever.

"Your leg looks bad Alex," said Toby after about half an hour of them being afloat in the fog and still no luck finding their destination.

Alex knew that it was more than bad; he could feel it all the while he was underground but now in the harsh light of day, it wasn't a pretty sight. His pant leg had completely ripped open at the knee now exposing the wound. It was a harsh, bright red colour with a deep crimson gash right in the middle which was still bleeding. He knew that the water he'd been wading through had been unclean so if he didn't get medical attention soon it was going to become infected, if it wasn't already. But he'd worry about that later, if he even made it out alive first.

"I'll be okay, it's just a little cut that's all."

Alex had been fully aware since he and Toby got into the boat, that this was the first time he'd been out on the lake since Josh had died. The situation he was in was also hauntingly familiar; he was out in the middle of the lake in a boat with a boy only one year younger than Josh was when he had fallen in. Alex was just trying to focus on rowing, he'd re-lived this moment a hundred times over in his head but coming back to the scene of the accident made it so much harder and he didn't want to see it again. He didn't want to go back to the moment when his world, in the form of his little brother, had shattered and changed forever.

It was that stupid ring! The ring that Alex's father had given to Josh that then hung around his neck on a chain, which Josh had shown to Alex when they were in the boat.

"_Oh yeah? Then why'd he give me this?" _Josh had challenged Alex that night, after Alex had told him that their father thought he was a baby, who couldn't go out on the lake on his own.

"_It's Dad's ring," _Josh had said after Alex had asked him what it was. _"But he told me not to show you so; I guess that makes me cooler."_

Alex had snatched it off Josh, calling the ring a piece of crap. He remembered feeling hurt and resentment towards his father at that moment, and jealousy towards Josh. Of course their father had given Josh that ring, because his little brother was the favourite, the prodigal son. But it wasn't his brother's fault; it was his father's for being such a bad parent, such a cold hearted _bastard._ His father was going to sacrifice Alex, the way the four founding families of Shepherd's Glen would sacrifice one of their children every fifty years to keep the demons that haunted Silent Hill at bay.

But that ritualistic sacrifice all changed on that fateful night when Alex and Josh went out on to that lake.

"_It's worth more than a million dollars, that's why Dad gave it to me!" _said Josh, hurt by the fact that Alex had called it a piece of crap.

Alex had swung the ring around on the chain, teasing Josh. He remembered the beam from the flashlight they had taken with them catching the gold surface of the ring, making it appear like it was sparkling.

Josh grabbed the ring, pulling it whilst Alex kept hold. _"Give that back! Give it back, come on!"_

Alex had laughed whilst Josh tried to pull the ring free of his grasp, both of the brothers playing tug of war with the chain it was attached to.

Josh stood up in the boat, pulling and pulling and on the third tug the chain snapped and Josh fell. Alex could still remember the sickening crack his neck had made when it hit the side of the boat and then the awful splashing sound as his body hit the water. Alex had screamed Josh's name but it was no use, his brother was gone.

He remembered his father's words after he had come on to the lake looking for them in his own boat. He remembered the look of pure hate in his father's eyes as he held Josh's lifeless body in his arms, the chain and the ring still in his brother's hand.

"_Do you know what you've done?" _Alex felt sick, he felt numb, his little brother was dead. He told his father it was an accident.

"_This is not the way it's supposed to be. I chose you! Now you've ruined it for all of us!" _his father had accused. Alex had no idea what his father was talking about then but he had broken the pact that the founders of Shepherd's Glen had made. Josh had died instead of him and Alex would have to live with that guilt every day, knowing that if they hadn't of gone out on to the lake that night, Josh would be here and Alex wouldn't.

"He's okay, I can save him. I can save him," Alex whispered, his voice floating on the lake and through the fog.

"Save who Alex?" Toby asked, pulling Alex out of the past and into the present.

Alex had already made his peace with the past; he didn't want to feel guilty all over again. He loved his brother, it was an accident.

"Save William, Toby. Save William."

"Hey look!" shouted Toby, pointing over Alex's shoulder.

Alex turned around and saw a building in the distance on the shore. Most of it was obscured by the fog but he could see that it was big and grand. As they got closer he realised that the building was definitely a hotel, or it used to be. The whole place was charred and scorched, a former shell of what it once was. A fire had burned the place down long ago and now the hotel was a blackening and crumbling wreck. They had finally arrived at the Lakeview Hotel.

He moored the boat near a wooden walk way that led up to the hotel and got out, Toby following behind. They made their way up to the entrance, Alex holding his handgun out in front of him. The shoreline at the front of the hotel was lined with trees and Alex knew that James could be hiding behind any one of them.

As they got closer to the burned out building, Alex could smell ash and burning cinder that still hung in the air long after the fire had consumed the hotel. He wondered what had happened here. It must have been one hell of an intense fire to take out a huge three story building like this. He saw that parts of the hotel were crumbling and had given way completely. He could still see bits of white brickwork peeking through the blackened soot that was covering the exterior, indicating that before it burned down, this was probably a quite beautiful place to stay.

"I'm Johnny, one _hot _guy!"

Alex spun around in the direction of the voice, his gun held as steady as he could and his finger on the trigger. He let his eyes focus and then he saw them, James and William down by the shoreline with their backs to the lake. James held William in front of him with his arm round his neck to keep him from escaping and held a knife to his eyeball with his other hand. William was trembling violently and his face was wet with tears.

"That's what it said on the heater in room 312, mine and Mary's room. Johnny, in all his wisdom, had left a heater that was right underneath a curtain burning away, probably causing the fire. Stupid son of a bitch," James laughed intensely, showing his pearly white teeth and making Alex feel immensely uncomfortable.

Alex began to move slowly closer towards James, keeping his gun trained ahead. He whispered to Toby to stay close behind him. He stopped a few feet in front of them, not wanting to get too close whilst James had a knife so dangerously close to William's eye. William was looking at Alex with pleading and desperation and Alex had never felt so much resting on him in his life. He was so glad that William was still alive but all of that could change in a split second if he made the wrong move.

"You're not looking too good Alex," said James with amusement, looking at Alex's knee with those awful black eyes of his.

"Neither are you," replied Alex, gesturing to the stab wound in James's side that Alex had previously given him in the prison. The bleeding seemed to have stopped but the cut looked rather deep, and the blood seemed to be black, not red.

"Yes, well, you'll pay for that one," James said with a sadistic smile.

William began to whimper, obviously terrified that the beast was going to take out his anger on him.

"Look James, your issue is with me here, not the kid. Let him go."

"Or I could kill him, kill the other kid, and then drag you off to room 312 and kill you in there. You know that's where I found the videotape of myself killing Mary in our house. I put a pillow over her face until she stopped breathing."

Alex's mind began to work frantically. He was losing James; there was no way he was going to be able to rationalise with him. His lust for blood was too high, his mind was too primal and there was no human part of him left any more.

"But I wouldn't kill you like that. I said I'd take your heart, just rip it right out of your chest and you can watch in your final moments whilst it still beats in my hand."

Alex saw William squeeze his eyes shut and he felt Toby trembling behind him. He had to buy time, he needed to focus more.

"I don't think Pyramid Head would be too happy about that. He'll be here soon and he wants me alive, you know that. What do you think he'll do to you if he finds out that you killed me?"

Alex saw uncertainty and a hint of fear in those deep midnight pools in James's eyes. He saw the hand that was holding the knife begin to falter and he fixed his gaze on it, trying to focus and stop his hand from shaking. He knew if he made one single mistake now it was cost them all their lives.

"I'm not scared of him!" snarled James. "I'm not scared of anyone. If he wants you alive, I'll just start by killing the kids shall I?"

"You're not going to kill anyone James," replied Alex. He took aim, prayed that he wouldn't live to regret his decision and pulled the trigger.

The gunshot was deafening and echoed all over the lake. Alex saw William fall to the ground and for one sickening moment he thought he'd missed his target. But William was unharmed and James was clutching his hand that held the knife that was now lying on the ground next to him. Black blood seeped from the gunshot wound which went right through his palm and James was looking at Alex with murderous intent.

Alex didn't know how many bullets it was going to take to stop James and his vision was already blurring once again, his hands shaking violently. James was already recovering and advancing on William who was now on his feet and running away. Alex did the only other thing he could think of which had a better shot of killing James than an unknown amount of bullets. He took his rifle from over his shoulder and threw it to the ground, along with his handgun and he began to run towards James.

He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the agony in his knee which probably wouldn't matter in a few minutes. He gathered up as much speed as he could, knowing he was going to need a great amount. James saw Alex advancing on him and smiled with glee. He stood facing him, beckoning him to do what he was about to do, waiting in anticipation. Alex saw the knife on the ground a few feet in front of him. He pushed himself faster and snatched it up on his way past, stooping low but not losing speed. He held it in his hand and gripped it as tight as he could. He was almost there.

"_COME ON!" _shouted James, his arms open wide.

Alex's feet left the ground and he hurled himself at James, knocking into him with great force and sending them both tumbling into Toluca Lake. There was a loud splash and then they were both underwater, the cold almost making Alex too numb to move.

He opened his eyes and saw James swimming towards him, still smiling that evil smile. Shafts of light shined down through the lakes surface and James's silver hair was flowing upwards and out in all directions and Alex thought he really did look like a white ghost, an aquatic spectre. He knew he had to hurry up; he was getting short of breath already.

He swam towards James, hoping that he wouldn't drown under here, the lake bed being his final resting place. James reached him first and his hands shot out, wrapping themselves around Alex's neck. Alex's first instinct was to breathe in, to get some air into his lungs that were now being deprived of oxygen by James. But he knew if he breathed in then it would be instant death so he held his breath that was now rapidly depleting and tried to ignore the darkness that was seeping into his vision.

He gripped hold of the knife that he still had in his hand as tight as he could. He pushed his arm forward with all of the strength he had left, knowing that the water was going to slow down his movement. He pushed hard and fast and saw James's eyes go wide and his grin disappear as the knife penetrated his stomach. The hands came free of Alex's neck and black blood began to rush from the wound, clouding the water and obscuring James's face from view. James's arms floated up, as if he'd lost all feeling in them and he began to sink to the bottom of the lake.

Alex began to feel dizzy; he couldn't hold his breath for much longer. He pushed himself upwards and began to swim as fast as he could. He was expecting a hand to grab on to his leg at any moment and pull him down into a watery grave but nothing happened. Instead he swam towards the surface, his face turning purple and his heart pounding at a dangerous speed. _Just a little further, hang on! _Faster, faster and he was through. He burst through the surface of the water and breathed in huge lung full's of air, never being so grateful for oxygen in his life.

He swam to the shoreline and pulled himself on to dry land with huge effort. He lay on his stomach, soaking wet and feeling like he couldn't move even if he wanted to. He had no strength left, he was physically drained. He felt himself begin to drift off to sleep when he heard William's cry of terror.

He snapped his head up and looked toward the hotel and let out a low, terrified moan at what he saw. Pyramid Head had found them. He had the spear in his hand and the triangular helmet was on his head once more. Alex had no idea how he'd got it through that manhole with him.

He was standing over Toby and William who were huddled together, cowering at the front doors of the hotel. Alex didn't have the strength to fight any more. He looked around for his guns but they were too far off to the left near the water. He tried to get on to his knees but he didn't even have the energy for that so he started dragging himself across the mud with his arms and did the only other thing he could do, he got Pyramid Head's attention.

"Hey!" he shouted, his voice raspy and hoarse.

Pyramid Head turned around, turning his attention to Alex.

"Over here. Let's finish this."

The red demon began to make his way over to Alex, taking slow, labouring steps. Alex put his head down once more and waited for whatever the monster had in store for him. He wanted to save Toby and William so badly but he couldn't fight anymore, he was in no condition. Maybe once Pyramid Head had Alex he'd leave the kids alone. That was the best he could hope for. He closed his eyes and waited for the punisher to come, and wondered if his brother would be waiting for him in the next life.

* * *

James found himself floating through time and space. He passed through billions of stars, sparkling and twinkling like candles in the night. He floated over fields and meadows, the grass a brilliant beautiful green, the trees blazing orange in the golden setting sun. He witnessed moments in his life from times gone by, his birth, crying and screaming and new to the world. His mother holding him in his arms and his father almost bursting with pride. He saw his fifth birthday party, blowing out the candles on his cake shaped like a football. His first day of school, nervous and wearing his shorts that were too big for him. His first day of high school, his first girlfriend, his first kiss. His mother dying, holding her hand as she passed on from this world and his father following her shortly afterwards.

He saw his beautiful Mary. He remembered the first time he'd met her at a house party held by one of their friends. She was so beautiful, her auburn hair shining whenever the light would catch it and those deep brown eyes that held so much life and spirit in them. Their love was so passionate at first, and then it evolved into something much deeper and meaningful. He remembered her illness, the day she was diagnosed with a terminal, incurable disease and was given just three years to live.

He saw her condition deteriorate all over again; he saw her beauty fade, even though she always remained beautiful to him. He saw her lash out and blame him, he saw her hate herself and the way she looked, he saw her slip away as time went by. He saw himself begin to drink and feel angry and frustrated that he couldn't help her and the strain the illness was putting on their relationship. He remembered when she was allowed to come home from the hospital in her final days and he remembered how he had smothered her with a pillow in her own bed. He remembered her lifeless body and his guilt begin to take over.

And then she was there.

She was wherever James was at that moment in time. He found himself standing on solid white ground, surrounded by white fog. He was no longer the beast that he had been turned into by his tormentor, he was James Sunderland again, just a man. But he knew he wasn't in the land of the living. Was he dead?

"James," said Mary, very softly.

She was standing in front of him, as beautiful as she had always been, as beautiful as he'd always remembered her.

"Mary," whispered James, tears stinging his eyes and emotion choking his throat.

He wanted to ask where he was, if he was still in Silent Hill, if he was dead or if he was simply dreaming. But he didn't know how long this was going to last, whatever this was, and there was only one thing he wanted to say. One thing he'd wanted to say for so long.

"I'm sorry Mary... I'm so sorry," he said, tears spilling from his eyes.

She came over to him and put her hand on his cheek, the way she used to do in happier times. Her touch was so light, he could barely feel it, but he knew it was real.

"You've suffered enough James. You've been punished for too long," she whispered, her hand staying on his cheek, her eyes shining with more light than ever.

"... I forgive you."

James broke down, sobs wrenching out of him and shaking his whole body. He burned with shame and guilt but he had never felt so happy. A huge weight had been lifted and wherever he returned to after this, he knew he could be at peace.

"You have to go back now James," said Mary.

"No!" James snapped his head up to look at her. "I want to stay here with you, there's nothing left for me back there."

"Alex and the children need you James, they're in trouble."

"But-" James began to protest but Mary cut him off.

"Be the James I fell in love with and go and help them. If you choose to stay there, know that I forgive you. If you choose to come back... I'll be waiting."

She smiled the warm smile of hers that always made James feel safe and gave him a feather light kiss on the forehead. She then turned and walked away, the fog swallowing her up.

"No, Mary, don't leave me!" cried James, running after her but finding only the thick mist.

From somewhere in the distance he heard a faint cry, a child's cry, "Alex! You need to get up Alex!"

James looked around him and made a decision. He closed his eyes and felt a huge rush of energy. He was seeing all of the moments in his life again but they were rushing by so fast. He was floating through billions of stars at lightning speed, over the meadows and the hills and towards a blinding bright light.

He pushed through the light and opened his eyes, he was underwater and back in Toluca Lake. He was aware of an agonising pain in his stomach and felt so weak but he began to swim upwards towards the surface. He could feel himself losing more blood, the moment when Alex stabbed him coming back into his memory. He knew he wouldn't last long but needed to make his final moments count.

He broke through the surface of the water and saw Pyramid Head in the distance, standing over Alex who was lying on the ground. Pyramid Head was in the process of taking his helmet off and this is when James seized his chance. He swam over to the shore and dragged himself on to dry land and saw the rifle that Alex had discarded before he knocked James and himself in to the lake. He crawled over to it, keeping one hand over the stab wound in his stomach to try and stop the flow of blood as long as possible.

He picked up the rifle and took aim. Pyramid Head hadn't spotted him yet and was just about to remove his helmet. His muscles bulged under the great weight and strain of removing it and after a loud groan the pyramid came off, exposing the red demons face. And that's when James pulled the trigger and sent a bullet right between Pyramid Head's eyes. His tormentor's body jerked and blood sprayed from the bullet wound, and then his body fell to the floor with a thud and Pyramid Head was no more.

* * *

Alex was preparing himself for death. Pyramid Head had finally reached him and kicked him over on to his back so Alex was looking up at his tormentor standing over him.

"_I've got you this time Alex... No more tricks, no more running away... You are going to become me."_

Alex could do nothing but watch in horror as Pyramid Head began to remove his helmet and finally understood what he intended to do. He was going to take off that helmet and put it on Alex's shoulders, making Alex _become him. _That was a fate worse than death, roaming around the streets of Silent Hill as another red demon. Stealing children off the streets and killing any unfortunate soul who happened to get trapped in this town. If he still had his gun he'd blow his brains out right there, the thought of being trapped in this town for eternity was too much to bear.

Pyramid Head finally took off his helmet and Alex squeezed his eyes shut. He didn't want to see his face, the face of death. He didn't want to see what he was about to be turned in to. He braced himself for whatever hell he was about to be tossed in to when he heard a loud gunshot and then a thud of a body hitting the floor. He opened his eyes and saw that Pyramid Head was no longer standing over him; he was lying dead at his feet.

Alex sat upright and whirled around in the direction that the shot had come and saw a body lying by the shore line. A body wearing a green coat and with blonde hair.

"James!" Alex shouted.

He threw himself to his feet but fell back down again when the agony in his knee became too much. Instead he half crawled, half dragged himself over to where James was now lying and sat down next to him, pulling James's upper body on to his legs and taking his head in his arms. He was no longer the beast that Pyramid Head had turned him into, he was back to the man he once was. His skin was still deathly pale but his hair was back to its blonde colour, matted to his forehead with the water and his eyes were no longer black but green, although the light was fading from them slowly.

Alex saw the rifle next to James who was looking up at him with a smile on his face.

"You're going to be alright James; we're all going to get out of here."

"No Alex... it's over for me," said James in a raspy and breathless voice.

Alex looked down at the stab wound that he had given James, James's hands covering it and shaking uncontrollably.

"I'm so sorry James, I just-"

"You were... just doing what I – I asked you to do Alex." James began to cough violently, bringing up blood.

"T-thank you Alex... thank you."

Alex didn't think he'd feel this bad, he didn't think he'd feel emotion start to choke him. He had no problem killing James when he wasn't himself, but now that he was dying in his arms as the man who he'd been through a lot with, he felt an overwhelming wave of grief sweep over him.

"Listen to me Alex... when you get back to – to Oakley, you have to-" he began to cough and splutter once more. "You have to tell the police that it was... me who took the k-kids."

Alex felt like he'd been punched in the gut. "No! No I won't, you've just saved our lives. I won't tarnish your name like that."

"They will think you... you did it otherwise and t-they'll arrest you. You t-think they'll believe s-stories about the... bogeyman?" James began to laugh, and then his teeth began to chatter violently.

"I'll think of something, you just hold on James."

"This is it for me Alex. Let something... good come from my d-death." He began to tremble and shake, his breath coming out shorter.

Alex knew he didn't have long left, and he felt so helpless that he couldn't save him. "Just know that you're a good person James. You saved my life and two children, you're a good man."

James smiled. "I – I saw her Alex... I saw Mary. She – she said she forgave me, and that she'd be... waiting for me." James's eyes began to glaze over and he looked up, as if he was looking at some far off beautiful sight that only he could see.

Alex took James's hand and held on to it. "Go to her James," he whispered.

James smiled and Alex never thought he'd seen anyone look so peaceful. He shut his eyes and took his last breath and died in Alex's arms.

Alex didn't know how long he sat there with James's body but at some point, William and Toby came over to him. He asked the kids to help them put James's body in to the boat that they'd come over in and he pushed it off out in to the lake, watching it disappear in to the fog. It was the best send off he could think of under the circumstances and he knew they wouldn't need the boat anyway; he didn't have a clue where to go.

"What do we do now Alex?" asked William.

Alex really didn't know. "Let's just go and rest for a while okay?"

They all went over to the doorway of the Lakeview Hotel and huddled together in it. William was on one side of Alex, Toby on the other. He put his arms around them and told them to go to sleep.

He rested his head against the door and closed his eyes. He saw the faces of all those he'd lost in this town. His mother, his father, Josh and James. But he felt the warmth of the bodies next to him that he'd managed to save and despite the place he was in and not knowing what would happen when he woke up, he fell in to a long and untroubled sleep.

* * *

Days, months or it could of been years passed by of Alex waking up and then falling back to sleep.

Sometimes he'd awake to doctor's faces floating above him, talking in far off voices using words he didn't understand. Sometimes it would be the stern faces of police men, asking if he could answer a few questions but he'd always drift back off before he could respond. Sometimes it would be Elle sitting on a chair next to his bed, holding his hand. And sometimes it would be Pyramid Head looming over him, taking off his helmet and bringing it down over Alex's face, and that's when Alex would start screaming awful screams, then doctors would rush in and give him an injection that sent him right back off to sleep where he fell into the deepest depths of unconsciousness.

One day Alex opened his eyes and his head began to pound but he didn't feel as tired as he normally did. He looked around and he was in a hospital bed with tubes and drips running out of his arms and his leg propped up in front of him in a thick cast. He turned his head to the left and saw Elle asleep in a chair next to his bed. He tried to say her name but the only sound that came out was a croaking sound, his throat was raw.

This still roused Elle though and she broke into a huge smile when she saw that he was awake. She was about to get the nurse when Alex grabbed her hand and shook his head, he wanted to know everything that had gone on first.

"K... K-k..." Alex tried so hard to speak. His mouth was so dry and his throat was in agony.

Elle put her ear to his mouth, "Try again Alex."

"K... Kids!" Alex finally managed to get out, wincing at the pain it caused him.

Elle looked at him. "William and Toby are fine Alex. They found the three of you huddled on the side of the highway, not far from an old diner. They're both back with their parents now. They both say you saved them and that they want to see if you're okay, but Alex..."

Elle looked around to make sure nobody was listening outside the door and lowered her voice, "Toby is pretty traumatised and when the police ask who took him, he says the bogey man who carried a big knife. And William is saying things about Silent Hill. What happened Alex?"

Alex felt his eyes go heavy and he fell back asleep before he could even try to give Elle a response.

* * *

He awoke again sometime later and felt a lot better. His throat wasn't as raw anymore and the pain in his head was gone. The chair next to his bed was empty however; Elle must have gone home to get some rest.

A doctor with a beard that immediately made Alex think of Santa Claus entered his room with a clipboard and a cup with some pills in it.

"How are we feeling today then?" he asked.

"A little better," replied Alex. "Where am I, and how long have I been here?"

The doctor, who revealed his name to be Dr Stark, told Alex that he was in Oakley General and had been here for three weeks. He told him how police had found him, Toby and William on the side of the highway, all unconscious. The children were released after just a few days having suffered no serious physical damage but their psychological state was still being heavily monitored. Alex's knee had not become infected, they got to it just in time but there was a serious break and he had shattered some bones, the wound had been stitched up but would leave a nasty scar and he'd be on crutches for at least eight weeks when he was discharged. The cut on his cheekbone would also leave a scar.

He was highly malnourished and dehydrated when they'd found him and suffering from extreme exhaustion and there were moments that they didn't think he'd pull through. But all his signs were stable now and he'd be able to leave in about a week's time. In the meantime, the police wanted to ask him a few questions when he felt up to it, and that's when, three days later, Officer Stanton paid Alex a visit.

"How are you Alex?" asked Stanton, making himself comfortable in the chair where Elle sat when she came to visit.

He had deep yellow and purple bruises around his neck where James had tried to strangle him and a nasty gash on his forehead.

"I'm okay, how's the head?"

"I'm getting there thanks. Now I have a few questions for you Alex if you feel up to it?"

Alex nodded.

"Well the first and most obvious question is where you have been for the past five days and where did you find William and Toby."

In the three days leading up to Stanton's visit, after Dr Stark telling him about what had happened and Elle filling him in on more details, Alex had tried to get his story straight without lying completely but omitting certain truth's that would make him sound like a lunatic and he tried to tell it to Stanton now as best he could without tripping up or forgetting some details.

He told Stanton that after he'd escaped from the asylum from where Fox had taken him, James had picked him up and took him to a motel. He said that he didn't have no other choice but to go with James because that he was about to be caught by Fox and his men. James had told Alex that he knew where the kids were, that they were in Silent Hill and he needed his help in getting them back. Alex of course left out the part about why he was wanted back in that town, he just said that James didn't give him and explanation and Alex had no choice but to trust him because he wanted to find the kids. He said that they went to Silent Hill and searched for days, and that Alex finally found Toby in an underground sewer system and William at the Lakeview Hotel.

"How did James, Sunderland, is it? How did he know you were at the asylum?"

"He heard you talking to your men on your radio after you realised I was missing. He was the one who strangled you Stanton," Alex replied.

He saw Stanton's jaw tighten and then relax again. "Do you know where he is now?"

Alex knew he had to be very careful here, if he said that James had simply disappeared, his picture would be plastered all over the news and the hunt would be on for this crazed kidnapper. His name would be smeared publicly and after what he did for Alex, Alex couldn't bear the thought. So he did what James asked him to do, even though it was hard for him to lie and he almost choked on his words.

"James went a little crazy when I found Toby in the sewer system. He took off on his own through the town and I found him later on at the Lakeview Hotel with William. He was going to hurt him so I... We had a confrontation. He had his hands around my throat, he was going to kill me so I... I stabbed him in the stomach with a knife he was carrying. He died from the wound."

Stanton was looking at Alex, debating whether to believe his story or not. He stood up and made his way to the door.

"That's all for now Alex, we're going to search Silent Hill and see if we can come up with anything."

Alex knew they wouldn't find a thing. You get into the other world of Silent Hill by invite only, if you're guilty and have sinned. They would just find an old, abandoned, fog free town.

Stanton was about to leave when a thought hit Alex. "Wait. What happened to Dr Fox? Where is he?"

"We arrested him, he's in custody. My men showed up at the asylum he took you to. Turns out you weren't the only one being tortured in there. We found a few victims still alive and quite a lot of bodies. Fox has been babbling on about how they were all upsetting the order of things and how they needed to be punished. We also arrested others who were working with him. The horrific things he did in there, if I have anything to do with it, I'm going to see that he gets life. Get some rest Alex, we'll talk again soon."

At least that son of a bitch was behind bars, that was one less thing he had to worry about. Alex turned his head and looked out of his hospital window. The sunlight was streaming in and beautifully golden. He heard birds singing outside and the wind rustling through the leaves of the trees. He decided that no matter what happened from here on out, he was just happy to be alive.

* * *

_Two months later._

"Elle, come on, you ready?" Alex shouted up the stairs as King was pulling on his leash, dying to go for a walk.

"Coming," replied Elle. She came down the stairs to join Alex and they both pulled their coats on and headed out the door.

King walked along happily, sniffing everything he could get close to. The air was chilly and the leaves on the trees were falling slowly, leaving the branches bare in time for winter. Elle held on to the Labrador's leash and Alex limped alongside her, out of his cast but still on his crutch for another week or two. The cold made his knee hurt, a forever present reminder of the ordeal in Silent Hill.

It had been two months since Alex had got out of hospital and after about two weeks of being back in his old home in Oakley, he decided it was time to move on and move in with Elle. He loved her, he always had and she loved him. She was the only person he could tell the true account to of what happened in Silent Hill because she was the only one who believed him.

Stanton and his men had come up with nothing in Silent Hill, just like Alex knew they would. He wasn't suspected of taking Toby and William, the condition he was in when they found him and the fact that both kids hail Alex as their hero still to this day was proof enough of that. The man Alex had killed in the asylum was investigated and all charges were dropped as it was clear he killed in self defence. Dr Fox's trial was still ongoing but it looked as if he was going to be locked up for a very long time. And as for the fact of who took those kids, only Alex, William, Toby and Elle knew the truth. Everybody else was baffled. The police's explanation to the press and to the public was that they hadn't yet made any arrests and were still looking for the culprit.

The press wouldn't leave Alex alone when he got out of hospital. They called him a 'Hero with a troubled past'. He couldn't stand all the attention; he'd been through too much and just wanted to be left alone. So he made the decision to move away from Oakley and into Elle's place. He'd said goodbye to William, and Bill and Iris who said he was always welcome at their home at any time and they couldn't thank him enough. He also received a heartfelt letter from Toby's mother telling him that she'd never be able to pay him back for bringing her son home to her. All of those things made what he _and _James went through in Silent Hill worth it.

He and Elle made their way through a secluded area of woodland with a little stream running through it. They followed the stream with King chasing the dragonflies that hovered on the surface of the water.

They walked along the dirt path and came to a clearing where the lake ran into a small pool of water which was always so very still and a beautiful clear shade of blue. They'd been here many times since Alex had moved in with Elle. It always calmed him, the still water and the golden shafts of light peering down through the trees. One of those shafts of light now fell on the very thing he'd come to see.

Right next to the lake, facing out on to it was a small slab of oval shaped, pure white rock sticking up from the ground. Alex went over to it and knelt down on his good knee, whilst Elle stayed back with King, giving Alex a moment.

Inscribed on the stone in cursive writing, done by Alex's very own hand it said:

_James Sunderland_

_Loving husband and friend._

_Never forgotten._

_Rest In Peace._

His body was still out on Toluca Lake of course but this was something for Alex to remember him by. He hoped that maybe some part of him was here with Mary, dancing and laughing on the surface of that pure sapphire pool and knowing that he'd always be remembered.

Alex gave the headstone a gentle pat and rejoined Elle and King. He gave one last look at the headstone and smiled at the golden light that was shining on it.

He looked forward to his future, never forgetting the past but leaving it behind and knew that where there was light, however little, darkness can always be overcome.


End file.
